Afire Love
by aftertales
Summary: Clary and Jace are an inseparable couple, but their devotion to one another will be tested by the many challenges that they must face. All characters are mundane, living in New York. FULL SUMMARY INSIDE. Sequel coming soon ;)
1. One - Part One

Clary and Jace are an inseparable couple, but their devotion to one another will be tested by the many challenges that they must face. All characters are mundane, living in New York.

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, and Bloodstream. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

Jace lives with Alec and Isabelle with their parents (the Lightwoods). Simon lives with his mother. Magnus lives in his apartment. Clary lives in her stepfather's house with Jocelyn ad Luke. Told in first person by Jace. NOTE: In this story Clary has blue eyes instead of green.

Each chapter usually will be a few hundred words, usually less than 1k words. Rated T for language and suggestive themes. There will likely be between fifteen and twenty-five chapters. AU and sometimes they might seem OOC but that's kind of accidental.

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><p><strong>One<strong>

_Take my hand and_

_heart and soul, I will_

_only have these eyes for you_

**Part One**

Clarissa, Clary, is the most amazing girl you'll ever meet. With a heart as warm as hers it's impossible to dislike her, especially since she seems to loves everyone. I love her, and am considering proposing.

"Jace, let's go! How long does it take to text Izzy?" Clary tugs at my arm, eager to go. She loves Central Park, especially this time of year. It's summer and she loves being able to walk through the trees just before the leaves fall. We're planning on meeting Isabelle, Simon, Alec, and Magnus there.

"Okay, okay! Done, let's go." I slid my phone into my jeans and Clary pecks my cheek. I smile at her and we both walk to the door. We've been staying at Luke's house while Jocelyn and Luke are away on their honeymoon.

We walk to the subway station in downtown Brooklyn; we'll take the subway from there.

Clary wears a blue tank top that matches her eyes. I can't help but notice this; I seem to notice everything about Clary. The way her freckles are almost the same colour as her flaming hair; the way her cheeks dimple when she's laughing; the way she changes her walk when she's excited. I push back my gold locks as I admire her.

"Do you want to go to Taki's tonight?" I ask her as we walk down the sidewalk. People are walking around us, but its more tourist people than business people. Tourist always seem more relaxed and excited than business people, so I love summer because it brings tourists.

"Can't. Doctor appointment. We can go tomorrow maybe." Clary calmly avoids pedestrians as we walk and she slips her hand into my own. Her delicate artist fingers tangle with my calloused one and we smile at each other.

The subway ride is quick and soon we're just minutes from Central Park. We see Magnus and Alec sitting on a bench and Clary pulls me to walk faster. I laugh at her eagerness. We haven't seen them in a few days, but based on Clary's reaction you'd think it'd been years.

Magnus's hair is as usual; spiked and glittery. Today it's just gold glitter, matching his cat-like eyes. Alec's eyes are a blue like Clary's. Both boys are greeting Clary as I arrive a moment after her.

"Did you text Isabelle and Simon?" Alec asks me. I nod and point behind him, to the two figures walking toward us; Isabelle and Simon. They're holding hands and smiling, Simon listening as Isabelle prattles on about something.

They arrive in under a minute and Isabelle switches from talking to Simon to talking to Clary. Simon seems relieved by this. We all start walking, just catching up and sharing any news we have. I reach for Clary's hand and we stroll together.

"We should get food after this. Can everyone come?" Simon asks, walking with Isabelle. As a group of six, we can't really walk together, and instead move as a clump.

"I can't go; doctor's appointment." Clary sighs. I squeeze her hand reassuringly. I know that she's nervous about the appointment. She told everyone is was just a regular checkup, but I know that it isn't.

"Alexander and I will be on a date tonight, so we're out unfortunately." Magnus replied while holding Alec's hand. They pecked affectionately and everyone smiled for a moment.

"Okay, maybe tomorrow." Simon reasoned, not sounding bothered. Isabelle put her head on his shoulder as they walked.

Clary didn't know, but we were actually getting together tonight. While Clary had her doctor appointment, the rest of us were going to plan her birthday. She was born on August 23rd, which would be on a Saturday this year, in just a few days. Of course, we were planning a surprise party.

We continued to meander around Central Park, and I could tell Clary wanted to draw everything. The beautiful trees, the luscious lawns, even the picturesque couples like us walking around.

"You and I should go to the beach sometime." Clary said the thought like she was simply thinking out loud. I tucked the idea away; perhaps that could be part of the surprise party.

"We all ought to go the movies sometime." Isabelle spoke up, turning to face everyone. I nodded and saw Clary too. Alec shrugged but Magnus smiled and agreed. I liked spending time as a group of six; large enough to have various conversations, but not so large that it felt impersonal.

"My doctor's appointment is in about forty minute, so Jace and I better head back. It was great catching up with everyone." Clary mentioned the time and I cursed. I hadn't realized how long we'd been here. Clary couldn't miss this appointment.

"Alright, we'll see you soon." Alec waved goodbye as did everyone else. I nodded at everyone and Clary and I turned away, walking back to the subway station.

The ride back to her place in Brooklyn was uncomfortably silent. Clary was fretting over the appointment and what the doctor might tell her and I was nervous for her. Her headaches had been getting worse, and yesterday morning she'd woken up and vomited on and off for an hour.

For her sake, I hoped it was just the flu or something.

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><p><strong>So what do you guys think ? This is my second WIP fanfic but I'll be giving them equal attention, pinky promise :) My other fanfic, if you're wondering, is 'His Blood was the Battleground'<strong>

**So thanks for reading the first chapter of my Ed Sheeran 'x' inspired fanfic :)**

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	2. One - Part Two

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, and Bloodstream. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

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><p><strong>One<strong>

_Take my hand and_

_heart and soul, I will_

_only have these eyes for you_

**Part Two**

I dropped Clary off at the doctor's and drove to Taki's. Isabelle, Simon, Alec, Magnus and I would be meeting there to plan Clary's birthday surprise.

When I got inside the restaurant, I saw Isabelle and Simon already sitting in a booth. I walked over and slid in next to Izzy. I'm met by a wave from Simon and a grin from Iz.

"When will you need to pick Clary up?" Simon asks, looking over the menu.

"When she calls me. We probably have at least an hour." I pick up a laminated menu and copy Simon, despite being too stressed about Clary to actually eat.

"Good, that's plenty of time." We look up and see Magnus and Alec enter the booth. I nod at them and we all glance at the menus for a while, discussion momentarily finished.

Once we order, me just having a coffee, we start talking about Clary's birthday.

"Where are we going to have this thing?" Isabelle asks, starting the conversation. I remember what Clary told me earlier.

"She mentioned wanting to go the beach this afternoon. We could go there." Every nods and Simon writes this down. He took it upon himself to write down our ideas.

"Okay, so we all go there early and Jace you bring her and we surprise her." Alec proposed the notion and everyone murmurs approval.

After about forty minutes of going back and forth we have a kickass surprise birthday party planned. I'm about to order a third cup of coffee when my phone rings.

"Hello?" I already know it's Clary, but I always answer the phone this way.

"Jace. I'm done, please come pick me up." Her voice sound ragged, even over the phone. I instantly get up out of the booth and keep talking to her.

"Clary, what's wrong?" Everyone at the table is looking at me know but I just focus on Clary's quiet voice on the end of the line.

"Just pick me up. Please." Her voice cracks on the last word and I know that she's not going to say anything else until I'm holding her safely in my arms.

"Okay, be there in ten minutes." I hang up and shrug on my jacket.

"What's wrong?" Isabelle asks, concerned. She grabs my arm as I try to leave.

"I don't know. I have to go, Iz. Talk to you guys later." Isabelle drops my arm, a look of hurt flashing across her face. I don't have time to comfort her, however.

I need to get to Clary.

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><p><strong>Okay so very very short... Sorry about that. Most of the chapters will be between 400-800 words. Even that's pretty short but I think there will be between 20-30 chapters... Please let me know how often you think I should update! I already have a lot of pre-typed chapters so it's just a matter of remembering to upload them.<strong>

**So what do think? What's wrong with Clary? SUSPENSE!**

**Anyways, thanks for the great feedback on my previous chapter, I was surprised by how many views I got :O**

**Make sure to check out my other fanfic 'His Blood was the Battleground'. The chapters are longer and I already have six of them up :D**

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	3. Take It Back - Part One

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, and Bloodstream. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

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><p><strong>Take It Back<strong>

_But then again that's what they're supposed to do_

_and I'm supposed to be calm_

_I tattooed the lyrics onto my arm_

_whispering everything that happens is from now on_

**Part One**

Clary stands outside the doctor's office. It had started raining a few minutes ago, and I can see that she's soaked. When I pull up Clary runs to the car and I lean over to open the passenger's door.

She gets in and buckles up wordlessly. I stare at her the whole time, waiting for her to say something. Once she's ready to go, she looks at me.

"What? Let's go." She gestures to the road through the rain-splattered windshield. I don't say anything, keeping my eyes on her. After a few seconds she sighs.

"I'll tell you at home. Just please, for now, drive." I wait a moment before giving the idle car gas and starting drive. I take one hand off the wheel and search for her's. I find it; cold and clammy. She squeezes my hand reassuringly – as if _I'm_ the one with bad news.

The drive is silent, and each second that passes makes me more angry and nervous. If it was just the flu, she would have told me. It's obviously something worse, something we didn't plan on. God, just don't let it be a baby.

"So what did you do during my appointment?" Clary asks calmly. I know she's trying to just make conversation to pass time.

"I just walked around for a bit." I lie, turning into Luke's neighborhood. We're nearly home.

"Where were you walking?" Clary asks skeptically. I can't figure out why she's being so suspicious.

"Just around the block." I feel my cheeks slightly warming up, as they sometimes do when I lie to Clary. I can lie to almost anyone, but not Clary.

"If you were walking around the block, why did it take you ten minutes to _drive_ to the doctor's office?" Shit. I hadn't thought of that.

"Okay okay, I was with Simon." Wait, what? Of all the things I could say, I say I was with _Simon_?

"Why were you with Simon?" Clary sounds completely skeptical and annoyed now. She pulls her hand from mine and crosses her arms.

"We were looking for a present for Izzy. Simon wants to get her something nice." This is a bad excuse, but I can't take it back now.

"Okay, why didn't you just tell me that?" Clary doesn't sound annoyed anymore, just slightly hurt.

"Well you're good friend's with Izzy, I didn't want you telling her." I feel relief wash through me now that Clary's no long disbelieving.

"Come on, I'd never tell Izzy." There's a pause before Clary continues.

"So what'd he get her?" Of course she'd ask.

"We didn't find anything." Clary's face sightly falls, but now I'm pulling into Luke's driveway and the discussion is over.

I arrive at Luke's house in record time, jumping out as soon I've turned the car off. We both run to the door due to the rain and Clary uses her key to unlock it. We slip inside and shed out of our soaked coats. Clary's tank top and jeans are also wet so she goes to her bedroom to change. Usually I'd follow her in cheekily and we'd make out a bit, but now I go to the living room and sit on the couch. Our lighthearted conversation is over.

She comes back out several minutes later, wearing sweatpants and one of my T-shirts. Her red hair is frizzy around her face and there are faint half-moon shadows under her eyes; she hasn't been sleeping much lately. Clary sits in a armchair across from me, pulling her legs up. I'd rather have her in my arms, but don't say so. She takes a deep breath before talking.

"Jace, I told the doctor what's been going on lately, and he suggested we do a CT scan." Clary pauses for a moment and I rack my brain trying to remember what a CT scan is.

"It's an X-ray machine for your head." She clarifies, and lets it sink in. I take a sharp inhale. No. She can't be implying that…

"Clary, no. There must have been a mistake." Now I wish more than ever she was in my arms, and I could bury face into those red curls. Anything instead of looking at her sad blue eyes across the room.

"There wasn't a mistake Jace." She whispers, looking down at her knees tucked beneath her.

"I have a brain tumor."

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><p><strong>Say<strong>**what? Yes; Clary has a brain tumor. I know a couple people thought she was pregnant but c'mon, that's too obvious.**

**Short chapter, so so sorry.**

**Okay so I want to clarify something that will probably apply to the rest of the story; I KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT BRAIN TUMORS. I apologize if at times the writing seems ****implausible ****due to the tumor, I'm not basing this off any experience of mine; this is just medical mumbo-jumbo to me. Please don't comment things like 'this would never happen' or 'she'd still be able to _' etc.**

**Alright sorry about that; I just wanted to clear it up.**

**So yesterday I was writing like a maniac and now I have almost the entire story pre-typed :O This is chapter three but I have the next twenty or so chapters ready to upload. I think I'm going to upload one per day, but that might change for days that I'm busy etc.**

**Thanks for reading the third chapter, and if you didn't notice, I finally gave this story a title! Hope you guys have enjoyed reading 'Afire Love' so far :D**

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	4. Take It Back - Part Two

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, and Bloodstream. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

* * *

><p><strong>Take It Back<strong>

_But then again that's what they're supposed to do_

_and I'm supposed to be calm_

_I tattooed the lyrics onto my arm_

_whispering everything that happens is from now on_

**Part Two**

Clary stands up and I think that she's going to come over to me but instead she puts on her coat and shoes. I jump off the couch.

"Clary! Where are you going?" Her erratic behaviours makes we worried.

"We both need time and space right now. I'm going out. I'll be back tonight. I–" Her voice cracks and she clears her voice.

"I love you Jace." With that she turns around and walks out the door, into the rain.

I know better than to try and stop her, but I need her right now. She just hit me with frightening news then left, making me deal with it on my own. I sit back down on the couch, covering my face with my hands.

_I have a brain tumor. I have a brain tumor. I have a brain tumor. _Her voice echoes in my head, making me feel lonelier than ever. How long has she had it? Can we still treat it? Can we even _afford_ the treatment? What's going to happen?

My phone buzzes in my pocket, shaking me out of my depressed reverie. I sit up and look at the text from Alec.

What happened with Clary? Text me back bro

I stare at the text for a few minutes, trying to figure how I'm supposed to do this. Clary wouldn't mind me telling our friends, I know, but I'm not sure what I should say. After waging a war inside my head for a few minutes I decide to call Alec.

He picks up after the second ring.

"Hey Jace." His voice sounds distant, like he's not talking into the phone directly.

"Alec?" I ask, wondering if he'll explain the voice thing.

"Present. You're on speaker, by the way. We're at Magnus' place. It's me, Magnus, Izzy and Simon." I take a deep breath.

"Okay." I know Alec is waiting for my Clary explanation but I'm still wrapping my head around it.

"So, is everything okay? With, you know…" Alec doesn't finish and he certainly doesn't need to.

"Not exactly. Are you sitting down?" I feel silly but I know that if I had been standing when Clary told me, I'd have fallen over. I hear rustling on their end of the line.

"Um, yeah, we're all sitting now. Jace, you're freaking us out." I rock on the couch, wanting to get up and pace but restraining myself.

"Clary's doctor appointment wasn't a regular checkup. Lately things haven't been so great; headaches, throwing up, and she couldn't feel her legs the other day. We didn't want to scare you guys in case it was a false alarm but she got a CT scan today…" I stop like  
>Clary did. Surprisingly I can hear Simon's voice on the other end.<p>

"A brain scan?"

"Yeah, I guess." I reply, not sure if I can bring myself to say the words.

"Jace, what did the scan show?" This is Isabelle, and she says it like a command, not a question. I feel my nose and eyes stinging; I'm close to crying. I don't cry much, and I hate it.

"She has a brain tumor." Silence follows the news but I think I hear muffled crying.

"Jace, we're coming over now." I hear Magnus, his voice sounds clear. I wonder if he switched the phone from speaker to regular. Before I can tell them that Clary isn't even here, the call disconnects.

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><p><strong>Chapter four; uploaded!<strong>

**Okay so this chapter was mostly dialogue and filler I guess but I swear; writing a chapter after a cliffhanger is more difficult that writing the last chapter!**

**Anyways, I hope this will satisfy everyone's craving for AL for one more day ;)**

**I'm kind of sad bc I didn't get very many reviews yesterday and I thought that Chapter Three was pretty good... :( Make sure to leave a review for Chapter Four**

**Make sure to check out my other fanfic 'His Blood was the Battleground', it's longer and I uploaded chapter seven yesterday! You can find it on my profile.**

**Okay, thanks for reading, new chapter should be up tomorrow :)**

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	5. Shirtsleeves - Part One

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, and Bloodstream. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Shirtsleeves**

_When salted tears won't dry_

_I'll wipe my shirtsleeves_

_under your eyes_

**Part One**

I lie on the couch for what feels like hours. I hear a knock at the door, and at first I consider ignoring it. Then I realize it might be Clary without her keys and I get up.

When I swing the door open, I see four people outside. Isabelle is right in front of me, with Simon at her side and Alec and Magnus behind them. I inwardly sigh but let them in.

"Clary's not here." I say as I retreat back to the living room. Everyone is taking off their jackets and boots.

"Well where is she?" Isabelle demands. Her eyes are red rimmed and I know that she was probably crying the whole way here. Simon comes to stand next to her, resting a reassuring hand on her back. I feel a twang of empathy for him; I grew up with Izzy, I know how crazy her moods can swing.

"I don't know, Iz. She told me what happened at her appointment and then left. She said we both needed time to come to terms with it." Even to my own ears my voice sounds tired. It sounds like I've already given up. In a way I want to give up. Find Clary, pull her into my arms, curl up and turn the world off. But I know tht isn't an option.

"When will she be back?" Alec asks, coming into the living room.

"She said later tonight." I stare down at my lap, not wanting to deal with company. Izzy sits down next to me and everyone else finds a place to reside for the time being. We're silent for a while, unasked questions hanging in the air like cobwebs. I know that everyone iis waiting for me to say something else, explain something more, but I don't have the energy to. Our silent continuum is broken by Izzy.

"Is it fatal?" Isabelle whispers, voice trembling. My breath catches and I hold back crying again.

"I – I hope not." I don't know what else to say. I can't imagine a world without Clary. I hope I never have to live in one. The very idea makes my chest tighten and vision slightly darken.

Everyone sits quietly in the house, rain pummeling outside. The digital clock in the kitchen is just visible from where I sit and I realize with a start that it's nearly midnight. I turn my head to see that Isabelle has fallen asleep next to me. Simon is dozing in the armchair that Clary was in hours ago, and Alec and Magnus are both slumbering on the other couch. I hadn't realized just how long we'd been sitting here.

I get up and tread softly to the kitchen. I write a quick note to Clary explaining the presence of our friends in the house and that they know about the... thing. Then I go to the bedroom and fall onto the bed, sleeping in my day clothes. Exhaustion from today's events weighs me down.

A few hours later, I wake due to hearing the bedroom door open. Due to the hallway light, all I can see of the intruder is a silhouette, but I know it's Clary. I lie still as she walks in and closes the door. She stays in the sweatpants and my T-shirt and creeps to the opposite side of the bed. She climbs in, snuggling lightly against me as if not wishing to rouse me. I pretend to slumber. She rests a hand over my chest and puts her forehead against my arm

"I'll be okay." Is all I hear before once again falling asleep.

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><p><strong>Sad chapter :(<strong>

**Alright so I'm getting more views and less reviews... Can we change this? I love getting so many views, it's insanely awesome, but some reviews would be great too. Pleas please PLEASE take the time to leave (even a short) review because seeing that I have a new review makes me so excited.**

**What do you guys think of me uploading everyday? Should I stop and upload every-other-day instead?**

**I forgot to mention this in the earlier chapters, but you guys should really listen to the chapter songs! Not only are they amazing songs, but they're also related to the chapters soooo ya.**

**Be sure to look out for 'His Blood was the Battleground' later today; I'll be uploading a new chapter! HBwtB is another TMI fanfic with longer chapters and a bit more clace+sizzy**

**Thanks for reading another chapter of my Ed Sheeran inspired TMI fanfic :D**

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	6. Shirtsleeves - Part Two

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, and Bloodstream. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Shirtsleeves**

_When salted tears won't dry_

_I'll wipe my shirtsleeves_

_under your eyes_

**Part Three**

We stay on the couch of the rest of the afternoon, not bothering to get up for anything. Clary cries a lot, and I keep wiping her tears away, whispering reassuring phrases.

"How did they react?" Clary asks at one point, sniffling a bit. I stroke her hair, thinking carefully about my answer.

"I think they want to see you, Clary. They were sad. We all care about you, you know that." Clary nodded and took a few deep breaths.

"We should call them. Invite them over soon." I nod at her idea. I think it would be best to get back into a semi-regular routine.

"Should I get my phone now?" I ask, loosening my hug. But Clary shakes her head.

"Stay. Just for a minute." I smile and kiss her tear-streaked cheek. She smiles too and turns to give me proper kiss. We stay there, tangled together kissing, until I hear the house phone ring. We break the kiss and give each other confused looks.

"Who would call the house–" I start but Clary cuts me off.

"My parents." I realize that Jocelyn and Luke will be back from their honeymoon tomorrow. The phone has rung three times now, and I hurry to get up and pick up the phone, which is in the kitchen. I get to it just before the seventh ring.

"Hello." I say, expecting either Luke or Jocelyn.

"Hi Jace." I find that I'm relieved to hear Luke's voice.

"Hey Mr. Garroway. Are you and Jocelyn enjoying your honeymoon?" Clary is listening to my half of the conversation now.

"Yes, everything is wonderful here. Just checking in with you and Clary; are you okay in Brooklyn?" My chest squeezes at the word 'okay'. After repeating it over and over and again to Clary I find that it has a strange ring coming from another person's mouth in such a different meaning.

"Yes, though we should talk once you get back." My voice sounds tighter than I meant it to be.

"Jace, are you sure everything's alright? No one's pregnant right?" I almost laugh at his second question.

"No one's pregnant, I assure you." Clary's cheeks turn as red as her hair and she buries her face in a pillow.

"Okay, we'll be home tomorrow evening. See you then Jace." Luke sounds uncertain.

"Yes, Mr. Garroway." I set the phone back onto the receiver and walk over to Clary; face still buried in a pillow.

"What was _that_ about?!" Clary's muffled voice comes through the pillow. She raises her head, looking exasperated.

"Luke called, making sure everything's good. I told him we'll need to talk and he thought you might be pregnant." Clary turned red again. "I assured him you are _not_ pregnant and we said goodbye. They'll be back tomorrow evening."

"Jace?"

"Yes?"

"I want to call them – Isabelle, Simon, Alec, and Magnus. Please get your phone." Clary sounded slightly tired but determined. I smiled.

"Okay."

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><p><strong>Sorry for the late upload D:<strong>

**So this chapter was mostly fluff but I need it to keep the story moving. All stories have boring bits; we have stumbled upon one of these bits.**

**I've very excited to report that 'Afire Love' has already come very close to 2000 views! Yesterday I ****received****tons of views which was extremely overwhelming (not to say I didn't appreciate it, however).**

**I've pretyped nearly all of 'Afire Love', so I'm letting everyone know there will be (about) thirty chapters. I hope this is a satisfying amount :)**

**Be sure to find my other TMI fanfic 'His Blood was the Battleground', being updated in a few hours.**

**Make sure to leave a kind review on how I'm doing and follow/favourite this story :D**

**Follow - Favourite - Review**


	7. Shirtsleeves - Part Three

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, and Bloodstream. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Shirtsleeves**

_When salted tears won't dry_

_I'll wipe my shirtsleeves_

_under your eyes_

**Part Three**

We stay on the couch of the rest of the afternoon, not bothering to get up for anything. Clary cries a lot, and I keep wiping her tears away, whispering reassuring phrases.

"How did they react?" Clary asks at one point, sniffling a bit. I stroke her hair, thinking carefully about my answer.

"I think they want to see you, Clary. They were sad. We all care about you, you know that." Clary nodded and took a few deep breaths.

"We should call them. Invite them over soon." I nod at her idea. I think it would be best to get back into a semi-regular routine.

"Should I get my phone now?" I ask, loosening my hug. But Clary shakes her head.

"Stay. Just for a minute." I smile and kiss her tear-streaked cheek. She smiles too and turns to give me proper kiss. We stay there, tangled together kissing, until I hear the house phone ring. We break the kiss and give each other confused looks.

"Who would call the house–" I start but Clary cuts me off.

"My parents." I realize that Jocelyn and Luke will be back from their honeymoon tomorrow. The phone has rung three times now, and I hurry to get up and pick up the phone, which is in the kitchen. I get to it just before the seventh ring.

"Hello." I say, expecting either Luke or Jocelyn.

"Hi Jace." I find that I'm relieved to hear Luke's voice.

"Hey Mr. Garroway. Are you and Jocelyn enjoying your honeymoon?" Clary is listening to my half of the conversation now.

"Yes, everything is wonderful here. Just checking in with you and Clary; are you okay in Brooklyn?" My chest squeezes at the word 'okay'. After repeating it over and over and again to Clary I find that it has a strange ring coming from another person's mouth in such a different meaning.

"Yes, though we should talk once you get back." My voice sounds tighter than I meant it to be.

"Jace, are you sure everything's alright? No one's pregnant right?" I almost laugh at his second question.

"No one's pregnant, I assure you." Clary's cheeks turn as red as her hair and she buries her face in a pillow.

"Okay, we'll be home tomorrow evening. See you then Jace." Luke sounds uncertain.

"Yes, Mr. Garroway." I set the phone back onto the receiver and walk over to Clary; face still buried in a pillow.

"What was _that_ about?!" Clary's muffled voice comes through the pillow. She raises her head, looking exasperated.

"Luke called, making sure everything's good. I told him we'll need to talk and he thought you might be pregnant." Clary turned red again. "I assured him you are _not_ pregnant and we said goodbye. They'll be back tomorrow evening."

"Jace?"

"Yes?"

"I want to call them – Isabelle, Simon, Alec, and Magnus. Please get your phone." Clary sounded slightly tired but determined. I smiled.

"Okay."

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for the late upload D:<strong>

**So this chapter was mostly fluff but I need it to keep the story moving. All stories have boring bits; we have stumbled upon one of these bits.**

**I've very excited to report that 'Afire Love' has already come very close to 2000 views! Yesterday I ****received****tons of views which was extremely overwhelming (not to say I didn't appreciate it, however).**

**I've pretyped nearly all of 'Afire Love', so I'm letting everyone know there will be (about) thirty chapters. I hope this is a satisfying amount :)**

**Be sure to find my other TMI fanfic 'His Blood was the Battleground', being updated in a few hours.**

**Make sure to leave a kind review on how I'm doing and follow/favourite this story :D**

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	8. Thinking Out Loud - Part One

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, and Bloodstream. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Thinking Out Loud**

_Take me into your loving arms_

_kiss me under the light of a thousand stars_

_place your head on my beating heart_

**Part One**

I get my phone from the bedroom and put it on speaker as I call Isabelle. I figure she'll at least be with Alec and Simon, and Magnus might even be with them.

"Mhmm?" The call is answered by a very sleepy Isabelle.

"Hi Izzy." Clary talks first. We both hear rustling and I can imagine Isabell literally jumping out of bed.

"Clary! Hi! How are you?" She sounds happy and extremely surprised. Clary manages to laugh.

"I'm fine, Iz. Is anyone else there? I'd love to talk to everyone." I'm holding the phone but so far it's just Clary talking. I let her.

"Yeah, uh Magnus and Alec are somewhere and Simon still sleeping. I guess we all lost track of time. I'll wake him now. Is Jace there?" I glance at the clock; late afternoon. I can't believe Iz would sleep that long. Then again, she was recently told her friend has brain tumor.

"Present." I say into the phone. I hear Isabelle let out a surprised noise.

"Oh, hi Jace."

"Hi Iz."

"Okay, Simon's waking up. I'll find Alec and Magnus right now." There are scuffling sounds for a while then distant murmurs of talking.

"Clary?" We both hear Alec's voice.

"Yup, hi Alec." Clary has a big smile on her face. I know that she's eager to see everyone.

"Good to hear from you, Clary." This is Magnus now.

"It's good to be heard." Clary replies happily.

"I'm here too. Just putting that out there." I add childishly. Clary laughs beside me and I hear chuckles on the other end as well.

"Okay, okay I'm up. What's happening?" This is Simon, seemingly unaware that we're having a phone call.

"Simon, we're talking to Clary and Jace right now." Isabelle patiently explains.

"Oh! Um hi Clary." I can imagine Simon's bewildered face.

"Hey, Si." Clary seems fairly finished with greetings.

"So guys, the reason we're calling is that we should get together soon. Is everyone free tomorrow?" I ask, getting to the point. We hear a chorus of 'yes's on the other end.

"Great. How about over here? Jocelyn and Luke get back tomorrow evening, you guys could come over before they come home." Clary proposes her idea and I nod. Approval from everyone else is quickly gained and we end the phone call.

"So, are you hungry?" I ask Clary, knowing that we have barely eaten a thing all day. She nods and we both go to the kitchen in search of dinner.

"Okay so… We have a frozen pizza and one instant rice pouch." I dig through the freezer and cupboards, realizing we haven't done groceries recently.

"Pizza." Clary decides, sitting at the table. I'm glad that she isn't standing for too long; I don't want happened this morning to happen again.

I pull the frozen pizza out of the freezer and read the box for instructions. Once it's in the oven I sit at the table with Clary. I take one of her small hands into my own.

"So what did the doctor say? Like warning signs and stuff." I feel dangerous breaching the topic, but I need to know what to look out for. Clary sighs but still answers.

"Headaches, vomiting, seizures, numbness, problems walking, hearing, vision, and speech impairment, and memory issues." She sounds angrier with each word and I feel bad for asking. I tuck away the information all the same.

The pizza is steaming as I pull it from the oven and Clary suppresses her giggles. There are speckles of black dotting the whole pizza, making it more burnt than not. I sigh and cut it up.

We eat the pizza and decided to go to bed early; we're too tired to do much else. I take Clary's hand as we walk to the bedroom, planting a light kiss on her cheek. W both change to go to sleep and slid under the sheets.

I wrap my arm around her as she presses her back against my chest. Our legs are intertwined as we fall asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay so the next chapter is cute clace-y stuff which I think you guys will like :)<strong>

**If you aren't you should definitely listen to the songs I have at the beginning of each chapter. They are beautiful/amazing songs and they relate to what I'm writing.**

**So; feedback? What do you guys think so far? Do you foresee any shipping action coming up? ;) Let me know**

**HUGE NEWS! Afire Love has reached over 2000 views! How did that happen so quickly?! Thank you so much everyone for reading my TMI fanfic :O**

**Be sure to check out my other TMI fanfic 'His Blood was the Battleground', it has longer chapters and will be updated tomorrow**

**Alright, I don't have anything else to say, so the usual I guess;**

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	9. Thinking Out Loud - Part Two

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, and Bloodstream. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Thinking Out Loud**

_Take me into your loving arms_

_kiss me under the light of a thousand stars_

_place your head on my beating heart_

**Part Two**

When I wake, I know it's still nighttime. I'm surprised, however, but how much light is coming through the window. The light is white, meaning it's moonlight not a streetlight.

I disentangle myself with Clary and pad over to the window. The sky is full of stars, glittering like scattered diamonds. I gasp and stare for a moment. I know exactly what I want to do and softly pad back to the bed.

"Clary." I whisper, shaking her shoulder lightly. She slowly wakes, then notices how dark the room is.

"What time is it, Jace?" She sounds tired but I can't help myself.

"Come on." I insist, ignoring her question.

"Fine." She starts to stand but I smirk.

"Uh-uh." I scoop her up bridal style and she arches a single eyebrow, fully awake now.

"Seriously? I can walk." She tries to get down, wiggle fervently, but I hold her closer and lean down to kiss her. She doesn't resist this and I can feel her melt into my arms. I pull away and give her a genuine smile.

"Let's go." I walk out of the bedroom and down the halls. Through the living room I open the screen door that leads outside to the backyard. I walk outside, Clary still in my arms, and onto the grass.

It's slightly wet with dew, but I sit down and set Clary into my lap. She wraps an arm around my neck and her ocean-blue eyes are inches from my gold ones. I'm tempted to kiss her again, but wait for a moment.

"Why are we out here?" Clary asks, looking around the yard. I point upwards and she gasps.

"Jace! How are there so many stars?" Normally we can't see so many, living in New York, but tonight seems to be an exception.

"I don't know." I say, just as mesmerized. Clary tilts her head back, taking in the sight.

We sit staring for several minutes, and I begin to slightly rock Clary. I can hear her humming something but don't ask what it is. We bask in the glow of starlight for a few more minutes, until I hear Clary murmur something.

"Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars." Clary whispers. They sound like song lyrics, and I think they're beautiful. I decide that I want to take her up on that.

I cup her cheek and Clary faces me again. Her eyes are wide, sparkling like the stars above us, and my lips meet hers. It's a tender kiss, like a leaf in the wind, but then it grows stronger with passion. Both of my hands go to her face and her arms wrap around my neck. We kiss under the starlight, bathing in the silver glow.

When we break apart, Clary is breathing heavy. It's not just out-of-breath heavy breathing, however. I can see the fear in her eyes as she struggles to breath.

"Clary!" I hold her as she catches her breath, which takes a few minutes.

"Nausea. I'm sorry." Clary looks me in the eye and looks truly sorry.

"Don't apologize." I hug her, arms wrapping around her back. "Please don't apologize."

* * *

><p><strong>Who's begging for more clace? I certainly want more clace ;)<strong>

**Yeah short chapter... the next one is about 200 words longer. All of the later chapters are around 800-1000 words, just so you know :)**

**So this scene was purely inspired by 'Thinking Out Loud' by Ed Sheeran. The lyrics in that song are so freaking amazing; please listen to the song! Maybe even reread the chapter _while_ listening to the song...? It's a worth-while idea, trust me.**

**Today I'm going to recommend two books for y'all to read; my very own 'His Blood was the Battleground' (new chapter later today), and KeepMeSafeInside's 'Breaking Down Walls'. It's really REALLY good, you guys should all check it out and leave a review :)**

**So, is everyone still okay with me uploading everyday? I'm about 95% done pretyping 'Afire Love', so you ****guys ****can decide how much you want it to be uploaded. This story should be over around mid-August-ish if I upload one chapter per day.**

**Please leave a review; I'm not getting very many :( It only takes a few seconds to leave a nice comment and a bit of feedback.**

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	10. Thinking Out Loud - Part Three

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, and Bloodstream. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Thinking Out Loud**

_Take me into your loving arms_

_kiss me under the light of a thousand stars_

_place your head on my beating heart_

**Part Three**

When we hear the knock on the door, Clary insists on getting it. I'd rather she didn't, but as a compromise I walk behind her as we get up from the couch and walk to the door.

Isabelle, Simon, Alec and Magnus are on the other side and greet Clary with warm expressions. Isabelle hugs her and everyone else walk around them to get inside.

Today is a fairly sunny day, which is a nice change from the rain we've be getting recently.

Everyone sits in the living room, Isabelle on Simon's lap in the arm chair, Alec and Magnus on one sofa and Clary and I on the other one.

"So what do you and Jace have planned for your birthday tomorrow, Clary?" Isabelle asks at one point. Everyone pretends to wait for her answer, but we know what it'll be.

"Oh, Jace and I are going to the beach!" Clary smiles wide looking very excited. I told her last night while we were stargazing and she was overcome with excitement. Isabelle fakes surprise.

"Can we come?" Isabelle requests looking at me.

"Nope, I'm stealing her for the day." I say before Clary can reply. She stares at me pleadingly but I shake my head and his kiss her forehead.

"Just us." I argued to her sad face. With a sigh she dropped the topic.

We talk for a while, always avoiding the issue of Clary's tumor. We get close a few times, but I make sure to consistently steer away from it like the conversation is a boat the tumor talk is a giant rock that might sink us.

Even once the sun sets dialogue doesn't stop. When there's a knock, Clary jumps up to get it.

"Stay." She say pointing at me like dog. My eyes slightly widen with fear.

"But Clary–" She shakes her head.

"Jace, I'll be fine. I'm walking to the door, not running a marathon." She walks to the door and I watch every step, ignoring everyone else. I can feel their confused stares. I'm prepared to rush to her aid at the first sign that she's unstable.

She reaches the door and opens it, letting Jocelyn and Luke inside.

"Clary! Good to see you." Jocelyn hugs Clary, then Luke does the same. I go to the kitchen and bring two chairs into the living room.

"Thank you Jace. Nice to see you too." Luke and Jocelyn sit in the chairs I brought and I sit back down on the couch with Clary.

"Jace, on the phone you said there was something we should discuss. Would you like to talk about that now or…" Luke looked at the rest of the people in the room. Clary dismissed the idea with her hand and answered for me.

"They all known, Luke. Besides, the sooner the better." I was surprised by how calm Clary was being. She took a deep breath before explaining.

"These last few weeks I've been having headaches, dizzy spells, and sometimes vomiting. I hoped it wouldn't be anything serious but I went to the doctor just in case." At this point I see Luke stare at me sternly.

"Jace," he says, interrupting Clary. "You said she wasn't pregnant..." I blush and everyone else tries to muffle their laughs.

"Let Clary explain." I say, patting Clary's knee. She smiles tightly and continues.

"When I explained everything to him he thought I should have a CT scan, which is a brain scan." Jocelyn's eyes bug out and Luke reaches for his wife's hand, trying to send her a reassuring glance. But it doesn't seem very reassuring, especially since he looks quite nervous. Clary keeps going.

"He showed me the scan results and… And I have a brain tumor." Clary held her breath, waiting for her parents' reactions.

Jocelyn jumped from her chair and wrapped Clary in a hug. Luke joined a moment later and I could hear someone sobbing. I guessed it was Jocelyn.

"My baby, oh my baby I'm so sorry." Jocelyn kept murmuring this, and Luke looked simply disbelieving.

"It's okay mom. I'm not going anywhere." And with that, Clary gave a strong smile. Only I could detect the glimmer of sadness in her blue eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>Somebody grab the tissue box... :_(<strong>

**Alright; thoughts on this chapter? It was mostly filler+repetition, but the next chapter is... A surprise! Did you really think I'd give it away? Be sure to say what you think is going to happen in your review :)**

**Alright, I can only say one thing for the view count; WOW. Yesterday I got over 500 views, and we're already closing in on 3k views. Incredible!**

**I'm sure no one noticed, but I did add an extra song to the list in the beginning (of each chapter). I added 'Nina' because when I was writing that section it wasn't working well and I needed more so... **

**That doesn't affect the story right now, but in total there are probably going to be closer to 35 chapters now :)**

**Please check out my second TMI fanfic; His Blood was the Battleground. Longer chapters and actual Shadowhunter-stuff :D**

**Well, I doubt anyone reads this anyways so I guess I'll shut up now :)**

**Follow - Favourite - Review**


	11. Tenerife Sea - Part One

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, and Bloodstream. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Tenerife Sea**

_You look so beautiful in this light_

_your silhouette over me_

_the way it brings out the blue in your eyes_

**Part One**

It's the morning of Clary's birthday, and I bite my lip, excited about what we have planned. A great day at the beach is just the beginning.

"Clary," I sing her name, drawing out the 'y'.

"C'mon baby." I nudge her as she sleeps. I'm still under the covers, but I'm awake and propped up by my elbows.

"Jace it's too early." Clary whines but I know that it's hardly early; it's 10:00 am.

"Okay, you leave me no choice…" I sit up properly and why words catch her interest.

"What do–" She gets cut off by her own happy shrieks. My fingertips brush and her ribs causing her to squirm and laugh uncontrollably. I tickle her causing her to squim and shreik happily.

"Jace – stop it – I can't–" She's struggling between laughing, breathing and talking. I stop tickling her but inside grab her around the waist and pull her closer.

"Happy birthday, cupcake." I kiss the tip of her nose and she laughs.

"Cupcake?" She questions my nickname for her. I shrug.

"Just trying it out I guess." I hear my phone vibrate on the nightstand so I reach for it. It's from Alec.

We're leaving for the beach now. I'll text you again when we arrive.

I send a quick response and Clary tries to catch a view of my screen.

"What's that about?" She asks, a little too curious.

"Alec wishes you a happy birthday." I lie. It's a white lie, so I don't feel bad about it.

"Okeydokey. Let's have breakfast." Clary wiggles out of my clutch and gets up, untangling her hair with her fingers. I set my phone on the night table, screen down, and get up too.

Her parents are already in the kitchen, Luke making bacon in a pan and Jocelyn tending to a cup of coffee. They wave as we enter and Clary sits down as I pour her a cup of coffee.

"Good morning you two. Happy birthday, Clary." Jocelyn reaches across the table and squeezes her daughter's hand. I give Clary her mug of coffee and she sends me an appreciative glance.

Luke and Jocelyn got up early this morning and bought groceries. Now Luke was cooking bacon and toast for Clary and I.

"Thanks Mr. Garroway." I say as I drink my own coffee.

"No problem Jace, and you can call me Luke." He's told me this several times already but I usually call him Mr. Garroway.

"So, we understand you two have plans for today?" Jocelyn asks, stirring the liquid in her mug.

"Yeah, Jace is taking me to the beach." Clary smiles at me as she says my name. I peck her cheek and we start eating, ending conversation.

We finish eating and Jocelyn volunteers to wash the dishes so Clary and I can get ready. We graciously accept her offer and wash up, before going into our shared bedroom.

I pick out a pair of blue swim trunks the same colour as Clary's eyes and a black T-shirt. Clary chooses an orange bikini with red polka dots and shoos me out of the room as she changes. I change in the bathroom.

When I come back in, after knocking, Clary's wearing a yellow cover-up dress and her red curly hair is pulled to the side over one shoulder. I feel my breath catch, though I'm not sure why. She's wearing simple clothing and yet she still looks as beautiful as a model in a designer dress.

"Ready to go?" I ask, hoping she didn't notice me staring. She grins and nods.

"Yeah, let's get this party started." And with that we leave.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, so even though that chapter felt short is was fairly longish. The next few chapters are her birthday and whatnot so I hope you guys are excited for that!<strong>

**VIEWAGE NEWS! We currently have (exactly) 3,462 views! That's insanity! Thank you so so much for ready my Ed Sheeran inspired TMI fanfic :D**

**Alright, so I've been thinking of also publishing this fanfic on Wattpad. I made a Wattpad account months ago and don't use it much, but I think I'm going to now. So, if you're a Wattpad reader you can look for Afire Love there too :)**

**My Wattpad username is aftertales (just like on here)**

**Be sure to check out my other TMI fanfic; His Blood was the Battleground.**

**I guess that's it! Thanks for reading, new chapter tomorrow :)**

**Follow - Favourite - Review**


	12. Tenerife Sea - Part Two

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, and Bloodstream. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Tenerife Sea**

_You look so beautiful in this light_

_your silhouette over me_

_the way it brings out the blue in your eyes_

**Part Two**

We get in the little car, which I pre-packed, and I sit in the driver's seat.

"How long is the drive?" Clary asks, clipping in her seat belt. I glance at the time – just before 11:00am – and I turn the key to start the engine.

"We'll arrive around noon." I pull out of the driveway and start the drive. Clary settles into her seat and after only ten minutes I'm certain that she's asleep.

I feel my phone vibrate but I'm driving so I ignore it. I'll have to assume it's Alec saying that they arrived. I'll check in a few minutes when I can safely pull over. Right now I'm cruising down a straight peice of road speckled with the occasional car. The road is paved but I there are gravel shoulders on the edges; I can pull over there once we're a bit closer.

I pull over twenty minutes after feeling the vibration and pull out my phone.

We're at the beach. We're under the giant sparkly umbrella (Magnus's of course).

I laugh at his text and respond a short message.

Haha, I'll look out for it. I just pulled over to read your text. We're almost there, Clary's asleep right now.

Once it's sent I put my phone back into my pocket and pull onto the road again.

We arrive at the beach ten minutes later. I rouse Clary who insists she 'wasn't sleeping, just resting her eyes.. And brains.'. I nod and got to trunk to get the towels and cooler.

"Clary, can you carry the cooler?" I ask, tossing the towels over my shoulder. She shrugs but picks it up. I close the trunk as Clary turns towards the beach. We parked just behind a grassy ridge. Beyond the ridge is the beach.

Before she can get very far I cover her eyes from behind.

"Jace! What are you doing. If you're trying to kidnap me you're doing a lousy job." She jokes as she stops walking.

"It's a surprise." I say as I start walking.

"Um okay. But I already know we're at the beach." Clary moves in front of me, letting me guide her.

"And how do you know that? I could have gone somelese while you slept." We stumble up the grassy ridge and I look at the stretch of beach before us.

"Jace!" She cries out, I guess she's taking me seriously. I laugh and look at the gorgeous beach.

The sand expanses as far as I can see; soft white grains. It's spotted with various colourful umbrellas, but not many. The beach is almost empty today. The water is lapping at the shore, and it's a beautiful blue. I can't help but compare it to Clary's eyes.

"Um Jace?" I realize we've been standing too long.

"Yeah, sorry." We walk down the ridge and I scan the beach for a sparkly umbrella. Farther down to the left I see a giant silver umbrella. I know it must be Magnus'.

I walk Clary there, eyeing the sand to make sure she doesn't step on anything painful. She doesn't and we get to the umbrella after a few minutes. Other people on the beach can see that I'm trying to surprise her and send knowing smiles our way. I return them with a nod.

When we're just a few feet away from the umbrella I speak.

"Okay, set down the cooler." Clary drops it onto the sand.

"Now cover your eyes with your own hands." Clary places her hands over mine and I draw away, letting her hands cover her eyes.

I creep towards the umbrella and see everyone waiting under it, grinning. I wave them out so that we stand before Clary.

"Uncover your eyes." I say and Clary does. She gasps and covers her mouth, laughing.

"Happy birthday!"

* * *

><p><strong>Yay for cuteness :D (sorry about the late upload)<strong>

**Alright so this chapter was kind short O.o but the party starts next chapter, Tenerife Sea - Part Three**

**If anyone's interested, I am posting this story on Wattpad, so you can add it to your library is you have Wattpad. The story is 'Afire Love' and it's by aftertales (everything's the same as here)**

**Okay, so I've been writing the end to this story (I pretype) and I am just totally unsatisfied... I might get a beta depending on if I want to continue with my idea as planned or rewrite it. But don't worry, I still have about a week's worth of good chapters to upload. In total I am almost certain this story will have thirty-five (35) chapters. Good? Good.**

**I have nothing left to say so...**

**Follow - Favourite - Review**


	13. Tenerife Sea - Part Three

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, and Bloodstream. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Tenerife Sea**

_You look so beautiful in this light_

_your silhouette over me_

_the way it brings out the blue in your eyes_

**Part Three**

"Oh my gosh! Guys!" Clary is laughing and we all hug her. Then she turns to me.

"Jace, you said it was just us!" She doesn't sound angry, just surprised. I sheepishly shrug.

"Oops." Clary laughs at my answer and we all start getting ready to swim. Clary sheds her yellow cover-up dress and I lift my black T-shirt over my head.

Isabelle wears a black bikini and I can't help but notice Simon checking her out. I turn away from it – I'm not fond of what guys check out a girl that I treat as my sister – but the other sight I'm met by is much, much worse.

Alec wears lime green swim trunks, and those aren't the problem. The problem is Magnus wear a hot pink speedo. I kid you not. A hot. Pink. Speedo.

"Magnus! Seriously?" I shield my eyes, not enjoying the view.

"What? We're at a beach; I'm wearing swimwear." Magnus reasoned and I could hear Clary giggling next to me. I lower my hand but avert my eyes all the same.

"Fine." I mumble, sure that he didn't even here it.

Once the swimsuit fiasco passed, we headed out to water. Alec and Magnus go far out, but Clary, Isabelle, Simon and I stay in the wait-deep water and just splash and dunking.

Then, we get the idea to do a water fight. Clary mounts my shoulders and Isabelle sits atop Simon's shoulders. Then it's an all-out splashing war.

While Clary's flicking little water droplets, I scoop up two handfuls of water. While Simon and Isabelle are distracted by Clary, I throw the water at Simon. Shocked, he stumbles back. Isabelle slips from his shoulders and falls into the water. She resurfaces a moment later, dripping black hair covering her face. I hold Clary's hands, lifting my arms above my head.

"Victory!" Clary and I chant.

We all stay in the water for another hour before getting out to dry off and eat.

"What's for late-lunch?" Clary asked, sitting on a towel. I opened the cooler and pulled out wrapped sandwiches. Clary grabs one out of my hand and kisses my cheek. I hand out the rest, making sure Simon gets a vegetarian one, and we sit down to lunch.

"So Clary, how old are you today?" Magnus asks, close to finishing his sandwich. Clary swallows before answering.

"Twenty-three." We continue eating for few minutes but soon everyone is done. I open the cooler again and pull out an ice cream cake. It's a small one, but I barely fit it in the cooler.

"How'd that thing stay frozen?" Clary asks incredulously. Magnus wiggles his fingers and eyebrows as he answers.

"Magic." We all laugh and I slice the cake. It's layered ice cream cake, and some sort of gooey chocolate stuff near the middle. Everyone devours it in minutes.

"Now," Isabelle says with a gleam in her eye, " you open presents!"

* * *

><p><strong>I'm so sorry about the late upload! My mom and I went shopping but we were out for 4.5 hours! So sorry. I'll keep this author's note short.<strong>

**Note; when Magnus said magic it was just a joke. This is an AH fanfic so he isn't a warlock.**

**Okay, so thoughts so far? What do you think the presents will be? What do you think Jace got her?**

**Please leave a review and let me know how I'm doing :)**


	14. Photograph - Part One

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, and Bloodstream. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Photograph**

_We made these memories for ourselves_

_where our eyes are never closing_

_hearts are never broken_

_and time's forever frozen still_

**Part One**

The first gift was from Alec and Magnus. Clary laughed at the packaging; silver glitter wrapping paper. When she removed the wrapping paper she was holding a black rectangular box. Biting her lip, Clary slowly opened the box and gasped.

Inside was necklace. The pendant was a glass teardrop with a blue gemstone trapped inside. The pendant was only the size of my thumbnail, and the blue stone inside was slightly smaller than my pinky nail. It was on a thin black chain.

"It's beautiful! Thank you." Clary stared at it in awe. She gave Alec and Magnus quick hugs before asking me to put it on her. I obliged, a little smile playing on my lips. I couldn't help but observe that the little jewel was the same bright blue as the water quietly lapping nearby.

The next gift was also a joint gift, from Isabelle and Simon. It was a larger rectangular box, about the size of my forearm. Clary removed the balloon-printed wrapping paper and I saw her eyes light up when she realized what it was. It was just a wooden box from the outside, but I know that Clary had seen it in the art store countless times.

She ran her fingers over the elaborate carvings on the box before opening it. Inside were several paintbrushes of varying sizes and eighteen little pots of paint. They were an expensive kind of watercolour paint that last a very long time. Clary had received small amounts of this type before but never this much.

"Guys! Thank you so much!" She gave them big hugs and stared at the box for a few more moments before sighing and putting it away. Clary turns to me and I smile.

"Alec, can you pass the little box over there? Yeah, that one." Alec picks up a black box and tosses it to me. I adjust in my hands and then adjust myself. I go from sitting cross legged to standing on one knee. Clary's breath catches.

"Oh my god, oh my god…" I hear her whispering quietly.

"Clary Adele Fray…" I look into her gorgeous eyes; the most beautiful shades of blue I've ever seen. I see tears shining in her eyes, not yet falling down her cheeks.

I open the box, showing her the intricate ring inside. She covers her mouth with both hands and the tears fall.

"Will you marry me?" Now my breath catches, waiting for her answer. She keeps crying and I don't think she can talk. She vigorously nods and wraps her arms around my neck.

"Yes, yes, yes! Of course Jace, oh my god I love you so much." Her words are muddled by tears but I know what she's saying. Now I'm crying too and we're hugging for what feels like forever.

When she pulls away I carefully take the ring out of the box and slid it onto her finger. She gasps and looks up at me. Then we kiss.

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><p><strong>Short but sweet... Just like Clary! But really, I'm sorry about the shortness of the this chapter. The next one is slightly shorter, but they're going to start getting longer.<strong>

**This upload is a little late but everything is kind of hectic today! I'm going to my cousin's birthday party later so I wanted to get this in before we left.**

**If you haven't already, you should read my other TMI fanfic; His Blood was the Battleground. Longer chapters plus more ships :)**

**Okay! Hope you loved this chapter, and make sure to leave a review. I love it when the review count goes up :D**

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	15. Photograph - Part Two & Three

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, and Bloodstream. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Photograph**

_We made these memories for ourselves_

_where our eyes are never closing_

_hearts are never broken_

_and time's forever frozen still_

Previous Chapter Recap: _When __she pulls away I carefully take the ring out of the box and slide it onto her finger. She gasps and looks up at me. Then we kiss._

**Part Two**

Our lips meet already fired with passion. We crash together likes waves against the shore and I can feel her smile in the kiss. My mouth slides open without me even meaning to and then hers is open too. The kiss deepens and I think we might have gone further if our friends weren't two feet away.

We pull apart flushed. I can't see Clary's freckles anymore and I realize I must be just as red. I look at her carefully; she appears to be okay. No dizziness, no nausea.

"You okay?" I whisper. She nods, almost imperceptibly. I sigh a breath of relief and we look at our friends.

"Well that was a show!" Isabelle hoots. She's laughing and soon we all are. By now it's early evening, the sun setting on the water, making it look like an ocean of lava.

I see Alec's on his phone and a moment later, I see my phone vibrating on the towel beside me. I sent Alec a look and she sheepishly shrugs. Clary is showing her ring to Isabelle so I take a moment to see what Alec sent me.

Four photos.

The first is when I'm on one knee and Clary's hands are over her mouth. The second is when she's hugging me, saying yes. The third is when I slid the ring on her finger, and the fourth is us kissing. I send Alec a quick message.

Thanks man.

Alec just nods at me and we set out phones aside.

Clary's ring is one I spent a lot of time searching for. It's a frail ring, with lots of beautiful detail. It's gold and it the shape of a ring of leaves. Each leaf has detailing; stems and veins and even little crinkles. There's a small diamond set into one of the leaves and on the inside of the ring is our initials, which I had to special order.

"Do we have to go now?" Clary asked, face slightly falling at the idea. I shook my head; the party wasn't quite over yet.

"Magnus?" I say as a cue.

"Yep, I'm on it." Magnus gets up and reaches for a black backpack under the umbrella. The beach is deserted, except for us, which means we can do what we planned on. It's not exactly legal, but who doesn't love fireworks?

Magnus set's them up down the beach while we talk about the wedding. It feels surreal; we're getting _married_. I asked Luke and Jocelyn for permission before they left for their honeymoon, so I can't imagine anything getting in our way now.

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><p><strong>AN: I was going to end it here, but this chapter is very short and so is the next one so I decided to combine them into one upload! Enjoy ;)**

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><p><strong>Part Three<strong>

Clary and I are cuddling when the first firework goes off. A golden spray of sparks illuminates the dark sky and we gasp. Magnus lights them in intervals of a couple seconds. We watch the sky burst and explode with showers of light. Clary's in my arms, head resting against my chest. I lightly rock her as we watch the firework show.

"Jace?" I hear her murmur.

"Mhmm?"

"Thank you. This was an amazing birthday." She sounds like she's about to fall asleep.

"No problem." I pause only a moment before finishing, "I love you Clary." But she's already sleeping.

The last few fireworks go off and we're left watching an empty sky. Simon and Isabelle move first, rolling their towels and starting to pack everything up. Alec helps them and Magnus jogs over to us.

We're silent as we pack up, everyone seeing that Clary's asleep. I lay her on the sand as I fold our towels and put things in the cooler.

"Thanks for helping guys." I say to them once we're ready to go. Simon offered to carry our cooler to the car so I just drape the towels over my shoulders and lift Clary bridal-style. We walk over the grass ridge and down to the little car.

Simon puts the cooler into the trunk and waves to me as he walks to Isabelle's car, which was parked farther down so Clary wouldn't see it.

I set Clary in the passenger's set and do her seatbelt for her. I kiss her forehead before closing her door and walking to the driver's seat.

When we get back, it's almost eleven-thirty. Jocelyn and Luke must already be sleeping since there aren't any lights on in the house. I carry Clary inside and set her in the bed, still in her yellow dress. I quickly change into boxer shorts and a T-shirt before crawling into bed next to Clary.

I sleep peacefully for several hours, but I wake up around four am. Clary isn't beside me.

I get up and tread into the hallway. I see light coming from the bathroom and I slowly walk towards the bathroom door. I pray with each step that everything is okay, but I'm getting a bad feeling.

Inside, Clary is passed out on the floor. I can see vomit in the toilet and Clary is clearly exhausted.

"Oh Clary…" I murmur. I grab a tissue and wipe her mouth before flushing it down the toilet with the rest of the vomit.

I lift Clary again and bring her to the bedroom. I set her down and go back to sleep myself after a few minutes.

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><p><strong>Okay, so as you can tell from my AN in the middle, I combined two chapters today. Individually they were only about 400 words each which is too short for my liking. So, instead of uploading Part Three of 'Photograph' tomorrow, I'll be uploading Part One of 'Afire Love'.**

**Alright, this is kind of a SPOILER so read at your own risk! **Stuff starts to get very important in these next few chapters. **That's why I decided to do a few happy chapters first.**

**Also... AFIRE LOVE REACHED OVER 5000 VIEWS! Guys that is so incredible I cannot thank everyone enough!**

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	16. Afire Love - Part One

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, and Bloodstream. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Afire Love**

_But then the devil took your breath away_

_and now we're left here in the pain_

_black suit, black tie, standing in the rain_

**Part One**

The next few days passed without conflict. Clary showed the ring to Jocelyn and Luke who were ecstatic for her. We talked about the wedding; when it might be, theme, food, guests, venue, etc.

But on the morning of August 27, a week after finding out about the tumor, Clary got worse. According to the doctor she'd had the tumor for several weeks prior to her appointment.

Clary wakes up startled, and when she ses me, she scrambles away.

"Clary? What's wrong?" She looks frightened, like I might hurt her. I stay where I am, trying to be calm.

"Who are you?" Her voice is quiet and scared. My heart sinks, weighted with disappointment. Her memory is slipping.

"Clary, it's me, Jace." I try not to freak out, but inside I'm falling apart.

"I don't know a Jace." Clary says, her voice strong. I have to resist the urge to cry. I get out of bed without another look at Clary and left the room. She looks relieved that I am leaving, but still scared. Jocelyn and Luke are in the kitchen.

"Oh hi Jace. Is Clary up?" Luke looks up the paper he is reading just long enough to ask me. I clench my fists.

"Her memory's going." Is all I can say. Luke drops the newspaper and Jocelyn stands up, abandoning her coffee mug.

"What?" Jocelyn looks petrified.

"She woke up and jumped away from me and she said she doesn't know who I am. I told her my name but she insisted she didn't know me." I sit down on the couch, steaming with anger. Jocelyn runs to her daughter's room, robe fluttering behind her. Luke comes over to where I am and sits next to me.

We are silent, which feels good. I'd rather feel his empathy than hear words that mean nothing to me. I think Luke understands this.

Jocelyn comes back a few minutes later and Luke stands up. She quickly whispered something to him before hurrying back to Clary. Luke walks into the kitchen and picks up the phone.

"Who are you calling?" I ask, getting up.

"Clary's doctor. We might need to take her to the hospital. Jocelyn said that Clary just – Oh hello Dr. Starkweather! I'm Clary Fray's stepfather… Yes, Luke Garroway… Oh, you thought this... Should we take her to the hospital?... Yes, she did… I'll tell Jocelyn… Alright, be there in twenty minutes." Luke scribbled something on a notepad and rushes to his wife and stepdaughter.

I stay on the couch, unsure of what to do. I'm not sure what Luke meant by 'Clary just –'. Did she just remember something? Did she just throw up? What happened?

Jocelyn comes out of the hallway and hastens to open the door. Luke was close behind her, Clary lying rigid in his arms. They went outside and piled into the car. I rushed to follow but Jocelyn comes to stop me.

"No, Jace. It should be us. We'll call you when we get there." Jocelyn pleaded with her eyes. I wanted nothing more than to hold Clary and tell it would be okay, but I knew that I should obey Jocelyn's request. I nod, jaw clenched, and Jocelyn runs back to the car. Luke rips out of the driveway and down the street.

I sit on the pavement for a while, staring at where the car had been just moments ago.

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><p><strong>Tears...<strong>

**Yeah it's kind of short and a lot happened and the writing was sort of sloppy... But please don't hate me! Yes, Clary is having memory issues, but the story is no where near done. Please stick it out with me :')**

**Did anyone notice that this chapter is the same as the title...?**

**Okay, so I have an idea for making a collab-story. It would be a TMI fanfic, probably AH but not necessarily. If you are interested in writing a collab with me, send a PM and we can talk :D**

**Please leave a review; a nice one saying you love it, a sad one saying that you're crying, an angry one saying I should upload more, etc. I love getting reviews!**

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	17. Afire Love - Part Two

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, and Bloodstream. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Afire Love**

_But then the devil took your breath away_

_and now we're left here in the pain_

_black suit, black tie, standing in the rain_

**Part Two**

I went inside and change into a pair of sweats and a new T-shirt. It is an overcast day, but it wasn't raining yet. I grabbed my phone and start walking to the Lightwood house. The Lightwoods adopted my when I was ten and to me they're family. If I can't be with Clary, I'll be with them.

The door is answered by Isabelle. She looks at my appearance; uncombed hair, rumpled shirt, set jaw.

"Come in." She turns away and walks into the living room, which is right next to the foyer.

"What happened?" I sit down on the couch and she turns whatever TV show she was watching off.

"Clary's in the hospital." There's so much to say but that's all I can manage.

"What happened?" Isabelle asks, surprisingly calm. I see her struggling to keep her breath even, however. Her back is perfectly straight and her fist are curling around one of the throw pillows.

"She woke up and she couldn't remember me. I got Jocelyn and something must have happened because she told Luke to call the doctor. He told them to go to hospital and that's where they are now. Jocelyn said they'd call me but they haven't yet." I stare at my phone, which has been dark for the last hour. I'm biting the edge of my lip, which slightly muddles my words. Isabelle seems to understand anyway. She comes over and hugs me, arms wrapping around my shoulders an head resting beside mine.

Alec walks in and takes in the scene. He sits down next to me, not saying anything. Isabelle lets go and remains seated on my other side. Alec stay silent, and that's one of the things I like about him; he doesn't pry, he always seems to know exactly what you need.

We stay that way for about twenty minutes, until my loud ringtone makes us all jump. I see Luke's number flash across the screen and I stand, answering the call.

"Yes?" I answer.

"Jace, how are you?" _He's avoiding the subject_, I think, heart sinking.

"I'm fine, that doesn't matter, how's Clary? Can I see her?" I'm pacing the Lightwood living room now, nerves like live wires.

I hear Luke sigh on the other end of the line my heart squeezes.

"She's resting in a private room right now. They took another scan and the tumor has gotten larger. Iyt's pressing against some vital centers of the brain and a couple of the nerves." He stops but I know there's something he's holding from me.

"You're not saying something, what are you hiding?" I want to punch something but I angrily run my fingers through my hair instead.

"They think that it's too late for treatment now." Luke says resignedly. My breath catches and bit my knuckle, holding back tears.

"I'm sorry Jace. I have to go. You should come soon." I hang up without saying anything else. Once the call is over, I crumple to the floor and don't hold back, letting my tears fall.

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><p><strong>Please don't attack me with torches! I love you guys! Big virtual hug, anyone? I have a feeling you guys are going to hate me by the time this is over...<strong>

**Alright, enough sadness! I've decided to write a collab with :D It'll be entitled 'The Golden Solider'. It's a clace-centered TMI fanfic about solider Shadowhunters fighting the Mortal War. It's a spin-off of what could of happened during the Mortal War I suppose... It will be posted on my account. So, if you're not already following me, make sure you are so you get a notice about it!**

**New 'Afire Love' chapter tomorrow! If I get a couple more reviews maybe I'll upload a few hours early... ;)**

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	18. Afire Love - Part Three

**Hey everyone**

**For this chapter I'm putting my author's note at the start... When you finish the chapter you'll get why... I don't want to ruin the moment... Okay I probably just said too much! Sorry!**

**I can't believe we're already on chapter eighteen :O It felt like just last week I was clicking 'New Story'.**

**Well, speaking of new stories, I made a collab with the wonderful mja . awesome ! The first chapter was uploaded earlier today; you can find it on my account (aftertales). It's called 'The Golden Soldier'. Check it out!**

**I had to rewrite this chapter a few times, but I think it's good now. Please leave a kind review :)**

**Okay, I'll let you guys read now.**

**And I just wanted to say it now, in case you don't believe me later. I really love you guys, you're amazing. But this is my story. And y'all are going to try and track me down after this one...**

* * *

><p>This fictional story is inspired by the singersongwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, and Bloodstream. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Afire Love**

_But then the devil took your breath away_

_and now we're left here in the pain_

_black suit, black tie, standing in the rain_

**Part Three**

Isabelle drives me to the hospital. Alec isn't with us; he's getting Simon and Magnus, but I don't care. At the moment, all I care about is Clary.

When we pull up to the hospital, I jump out before the engine turns off. Slamming the door, I run to the entrance through the doors. I search the lobby wildly fr a second before pressing against the assistance counter.

"Clary – Clarissa Fray. Clarissa Fray, where is she?" I ask the nurse behind the desk. Her hair is pulled into a tight little bun and her glasses are perched on the end of her nose. She glances down at a clipboard and points down the hall.

"Third room to the left." I run off , not bothering to thank her, just as Isabelle steps inside. She follows after me as I rush down the white tile hall. I hate hospitals. They're clean, impersonal, and remind me too much of death.

I step into the room the nurse directed me to and I see her. Jocelyn and Luke and beside the bed but Clary, the one I care about, is lying in the bed.

Her red hair is messily strewn about the pillow and her eyes are shut. She is too pale, and for a moment I think I'm too late. But her chest rises and falls as she breathes and I realize that she is still alive.

"Clary." Her name leaves my lips unintentionally, and I find myself next to her bed. I don't remember walking over but now I'm here.

I find one of her small hands and hold it in my own. She's wearing a thin hospital gown and there's a wristband on her wrist, medical mumbo-jumbo and her name scrawled on it. I see machines on the opposite side of the bed and my Clary is connected to various tubes and needles. I hold her hand, gentle so not to knock anything out, and stand patiently by her bed.

People – Luke, Jocelyn, Isabelle, Simon, Alec, Magnus, doctors, nurses – come and go but I stay still.

"Where, where am I?" Clary murmurs, snapping me back to reality. I was daydreaming about the day on the beach.

"Clary? You're okay. It's me, Jace. You're at the hospital but everything' s fine." I get down on my knees so that my face is level with Clary's. She's still lying down, eye's fluttering open and shut.

"Okay." She sounds endlessly tired, which is beyond me. How can someone who just woke up be so tired? I lightly squeeze her hand and stand up again.

"I'll be right back, okay Clary?" I release her hand and walk to the door. I hear Clary mumble a response but I'm already gone.

I know that Luke said he and Jocelyn would be in the cafeteria getting lunch, so I wander the halls until I find it. It's full of empty tables and chairs, but I spot Clary's parents at the far end.

"What happened to Clary when she was with you?" I ask, nearing their table. Luke had spotted me across the room but Jocelyn seems startled by my appearance.

"Jace! Oh, how are you doing?" Jocelyn sounds more nervous than she should. Luke lays a reassuring hand over one of her shaking ones across the table.

"I'm fine Mrs. Fr– Garroway." I slip up her name, still not quite used to calling her 'Mrs. Garroway' instead of 'Mrs. Fray'.

"Now, what happened with Clary this morning?" I circle back to my original question. Jocelyn looks frightened but Luke just sighs.

"Really Jace, it was noth–" Jocelyn stutters, but Luke silences her with a wave of his hand.

"We might as well tell him, Jo." Jocelyn still seems distraught but lets him continue. I feel awkward hearing Luke's nickname for his wife; 'Jo'.

"When Jocelyn went to talk to Clary, Clary was struggling to remember certain things." No kidding.

"She recognized Jocelyn but couldn't quite place her as her mother. Then her – leg, was it?" Luke pauses and looks t Jocelyn, who sadly nods.

"Yes, her leg began to spasm. It turned into a full seizure and lasted several seconds. At this point Jocelyn told me to call the doctor. When I finished the call I joined Jocelyn and Clary. Clary had fainted, but she was stiff instead of limp which concerned us further. We brought her to the hospital and now she's resting." Luke concluded the story, voice slightly flat with lack of emotion.

I suck in my breath, taking in the information. Wordlessly I turn away from them and find my way back to Clary's room.

She's still there, red hair sprayed over the pillow like an explosion. I stare at her from the doorway, unable to bring myself to go in. I know that if I touch her again I'll be overcome with emotions I'm not ready to deal with. I leave the room.

Isabelle is waiting for me in the waiting section. She has her phone out but tucks it into her purse when she sees me.

"Ready to go?" Her voice is gentle and I nod. The drive back to the Lightwood house is silent and when we arrive I go to my bedroom without a word.

My bedroom hasn't changed in the thirteen years that I've had it. It has dark blue walls, beige carpet, navy sheets and a beige comforter. There's a bookshelf parallel to my bed and a desk under the window.

I flop onto the bed and stare at ceiling until I can't keep my eyelids open anymore.

I wake up to a dark room. I see someone next to my bed, their hand is on my shoulder. In my sleep-riddled state all I can do is groan. My lamp turns on and I see that it's Izzy. She's in her pajamas and her hair is up in a messily-done ponytail. Tears streak her cheeks.

"Iz, what's wrong?" I sit up and my voice sounds groggy. I wipe my eyes to get the sleep out of them.

"Jace." I can tell that she's been crying. She clutches the portable home phone in her hand.

"Jace, she's gone."

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><p><strong>Follow - Favourite - Review<strong>


	19. Afire Love - Part Four

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, and Bloodstream. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Afire Love**

_But then the devil took your breath away_

_and now we're left here in the pain_

_black suit, black tie, standing in the rain_

**Part Four**

I shake my head. No, that's impossible. Clary's _fine_. She can't be gone.

"Iz that can't be right. No Iz, NO!" I push her away and stand up. I feel bad for shouting since now Isabelle's crying again but I don't believe her.

"Isabelle SHE'S ALIVE. SHE HAS TO BE!" I'm shouting again but I'm crying too. My voice cracks and I'm on the floor. When did I get on the floor? It doesn't matter. Nothing matters.

My fists pummel the floor, hitting the carpet over and over again. Isabelle is slumped against my bed, tears running down her face.

My door flies open and Alec stands in the doorway. He sees us crying and it's like the living room scene all over again. He notices me punching the floor and comes over to my side instantly. He grabs my wrists and stares me in the eye.

"Stop it Jace." I hear the strength in his words but I'm too much of a wreck for them to mean anything.

"SHE'S GONE ALEC! IT DOESN'T MATTER, NOTHING MATTERS!" I shout back at him, still crying. Isabelle cries harder at my screams.

"Jace she wouldn't want you doing this!" Alec shouts back, just as angry. I have nothing to say, I just fall against my bed. Alec lets go of my wrists and then he cries. His tears are silent and rolls slowly, but they are tears all the same. Sometimes I forget that he can't be strong for all of us.

Now what? What do you do when your sole reason for living is dead? What do you do when your best friend, sole mate, lover, fiancée, and whole word is gone?

We stay in my room until the sun rises, shining weakly through my curtain. It feels cruel; how can any day be sunny after what has happened?

Someone rings the doorbell but no one moves to get it. Robert and Maryse Lightwood, my adoptive parents, aren't home right now because they left New York a few weeks ago to travel. They won't be back for another week at least.

We expect the person at the door to leave but several minutes the doorbell is rung again. Isabelle stands up to get it.

"Alec?" I say, my voice hoarse.

"Yes Jace?" He asks, voice just as ragged.

"I loved her. And she's gone." I don't know why I'm saying this, but it's better than crying.

"I know Jace. We all cared about her." I'm glad that Alec didn't say 'We all loved her.'. If he said that it seems like my love for her was indifferent. I know that he understands this.

Isabelle came back a few minutes later.

"Luke and Jocelyn are downstairs. Come on." Isabelle walks out right away, leaving Alec and I to follow her. Her voice sounds too tired for me to argue with. It takes me a moment to stand, but once I do I'm able to walk down the stairs and into the living room with Alec.

When I see Jocelyn, I almost start crying again. She and Clary look so similar, it's almost too much. The only difference is Jocelyn's green eyes. Clary got her cerulean eyes from Luke.

I sit on the couch between Isabelle and Alec. Jocelyn and Luke sit across from us on the other couch. Everyone takes in everyone else's' appearance; rumpled, tear stained, fragile, and broken. No one speaks for a while.

"We're here to _personally_ tell you that–" The emotion in Jocelyn's voice is heavy and catches in her throat. Luke puts his hand on her back while she tries again. After several shaky breathes Jocelyn starts again.

"You already know about what happened to our daughter, but we thought we would personally tell you that Clary has… passed. She stopped breathing early this morning." Now Jocelyn breaks down, pressing into her husband's chest. He holds her and cries too. I wipe my cheeks before putting my head in my hands.

I know that I haven't stopped believing in God. I've just stopped believing God cares. There might be a God, and there might not, but I don't think it matters. Either way we're on our own.

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><p><strong>Yes I ended with a (slightly paraphrased) CoB quote :) I really like that quote so...<strong>

**Please keep reading 'Afire Love' guys, I'm not even close to done - there's still fifteen chapters.**

**If you're interested in reading a few more TMI fanfics, I recommend 'His Blood was the Battleground' by me, and 'The Golden Soldier'; a collab by aftertales and mja. awesome :D**

**I got a ton of reviews yesterday (understandably) but could I get even MORE today? Please give me a quick (or long!) review before you leave :)**

**Follow - Favourite - Review**


	20. Afire Love - Part Five

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, and Bloodstream. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Afire Love**

_But then the devil took your breath away_

_and now we're left here in the pain_

_black suit, black tie, standing in the rain_

**Part Five**

A few days after her death, we got a letter in the mail. There will be a funeral on September second for Clary.

The time between now and then passes in a blink. The next thing I know I'm being awoken by Maryse telling me 'it's the day'. She and Robert got home early after hearing the news.

I put on the suit that had been hanging in my closet for the last few days. It's a simple black tux with a white shirt underneath and I wear a black tie. I exit my bedroom just as Isabelle comes out of hers. She wears a black knee-length dress with straps and a cinched waist. I can tell that she isn't wearing any makeup. Her hair is worn down but recently brushed. Alec enters the hall a few seconds later and he wears an suit identical to mine.

We all walk downstairs and I see through the kitchen window that it's raining. I feel a small bit of satisfaction at this.

After eating quick breakfasts, we get in our SUV and drive to where the funeral will be held. When we arrive there are a few other mourners milling around though I don't think they're here for Clary. Clary's funeral will be very small and I don't recognize these people.

There's a chapel inside and that's where the signs tell us to go. I see a few people in the pews, but I can't name them since it's just the backs of heads. The five of us sit near the front; Alec, Izzy and I will be reading eulogies.

After twenty minutes everyone seems to be here. The invitation said they would be combining the visitation and funeral. Now we wait for the funeral to start.

A man that I don't recognize steps up to the podium. He spews some religious stuff that I don't listen to. I zone out for most of the funeral, trying to just stare at my shoes. I see the pallbearers walk down the aisle in my peripheral vision. It pains me to think that in a few months Clary could have been going down the aisle in a whole different way.

They set her casket up at the front and open the top half. I don't look. The man continues speaking for a while then says that we will begin the eulogies. It's 'eulogies' that catches my attention and I lift my head. I know that I will be speaking third, after Jocelyn and Luke.

"Our daughter was a wonderful person. She recently turned twenty-three but she will always be our little girl. She loved art and aspired to be an artist. Her friends and family were the most important thing to her and she always put others before herself. Even when she got news of the tumor she lived life like nothing would stop her. Her death was sudden and she will be greatly missed. I find myself wondering if a life without my child is a life worth living at all, but I know Clary would hate hearing me say those words. Clary, wherever you are now, know that you are loved and missed. Good bye angel." Jocelyn struggled to say these words, crying the whole time and looking at ceiling. Now it's Luke's turn. I can see from his red rimmed eyes that his daughter's death struck him hard.

His mouth opens but I can't hear him over the roaring blood in my ears. I can just see Clary in her casket. A curl of fiery hair is visible against the white satin insides. I see the tip of her pale nose and her hands folded over her chest.

Luke must be finished now since he and Jocelyn are shakily stepping down from the podium. I realize that it's my turn to speak now. Isabelle, who sits next to me, nudges my arm. I slowly rise and walk to the podium.

When I stand there, and look at the mourners, I want to jump down and hide. Seeing so many people, and knowing most of them, makes my heart clench because of why they're here.

"I cry for everyday that I walk this earth without her. I would trade the rest of my days for one more with her, and would spend all of that day telling her how much I love her. We would laugh and smile and he happy all day and tears would never stain our cheeks. I long for that day but know it will never happen. I proposed to Clary just a few weeks ago, and now I can't help but feel this is a sick joke where the universe is taking her away from me. I love her the way the waves love the shore. No matter how many times she may have tried to push me away, I always came back. Clary, I'm still here. I wish you were too." I break off and shed a few tears. I had a scripted eulogy, but when it came down to it, I couldn't read it. Instead I poured my heart out.

Clary, I love you.

* * *

><p><strong>Funeral Part One<strong>

**So you guys were still fighting me saying she's alive but; if a funeral isn't proof, I don't know what is.**

**So the song for the last few chapters has been 'Afire Love' which is also the book title. This song has six chapters, which is a lot more than most of the other songs. but, the song will switch soon.**

**If you are not, I strongly recommend you LISTEN to the songs, either after or during reading. they are amazing songs.**

**Looking for a few more TMI fanfics? Try: 'His Blood was the Battleground' (by aftertales) and 'The Golden Soldier' (a collab by mja . awesome and aftertales, can be found on aftertales' profile)**

**I was blown away by the number of reviews I got yesterday; can we do it again? Please leave a review before you go :)**

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	21. Afire Love - Part Six

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, Bloodstream, and I'm A Mess. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Afire Love**

_But then the devil took your breath away_

_and now we're left here in the pain_

_black suit, black tie, standing in the rain_

**Part Six**

The eulogies finish and the man from the beginning steps up to the podium again. I'm not sure if he says something or not, put suddenly everyone's standing up. I get up too. Isabelle lifts a book from the back of the pew in front of us and opens one of the pages. Everyone knows which page to go to and realize that I must have zoned out longer than I thought.

I hear music playing and soft voices start singing around me. I realize it's an even more beautiful version of 'Hallelujah'. I find myself getting lost in the gorgeous music. When it's over everyone sits again and Jocelyn and Luke walk towards the casket.

_Oh no._ I think, _This is the visitation part. We have to go up and look at her dead body and give our condolences._ I swallow hard as Jocelyn and Luke peer into the casket. No matter how badly I want to see Clary again, this is not the way.

Robert and Maryse stand up and walk out of the pew. Alec and Isabelle trail behind. I don't have a choice now. I get up and follow them, each footstep feeling heavier than the last.

When I'm just feet from her body I think I'm having a panic attack. I've never had one before but I think this is what it would feel like. My body feels too small; chest too tight, legs to rigid, skin too stretched. I see darks spots on the very edges of my vision but that might just be mourners dressed in black.

Each person in front of me peers into the casket for a few seconds before walking forward and giving their condolences to Jocelyn and Luke.

Isabelle only looks in the casket for a moments before forcing herself to look away and cry. She quickly moves to Jocelyn and Luke.

Now I'm standing right next to the casket. Her hair is swept to one side and displayed over her shoulder, like it was on her birthday. She wears a black dress that makes her skin look even more pale. Behind her eyelids are her blue eyes, but I know that I will never see them open again, twinkling with laughter nor shining with sadness. Her lips are as pale as her skin and her delicate fingers cross over her chest. The dress is simple, a lot like Izzy's. She looks peaceful, but she isn't smiling. I can't deal with Clary being dead if she isn't happier than when she was alive and suffering; I walk away.

Luke is the start of the two person receiving line. I'm about to say the cliché thing that was said to me so much thirteen years ago, when Luke stops me.

"Don't apologize, Jace. Don't say you're sorry for our loss. We both know she was just as much your loss as mine." Luke sets a hand on my shoulder and I feel tears spring to my eyes. I nod and we hug, just longer than necessary. When we break apart I step to Jocelyn, eye's glistening with tears.

"I would have been proud to call you my son-in-law." She whispers before hugging me. My throat squeezes and I can't reply, just nod and wipe my eyes as I walk away. I follow my adopted family back to our pew.

The procession continues until everyone has gone up. Now the man says some final words and everyone gets up. It's over.

It's all over.

* * *

><p><strong>Funeral's over, do you guys still have enough tissues?<strong>

**Okay, for the 'Hallelujah' part, listen to 'Afire Love' by Ed Sheeran. In the end he sings a version of Hallelujah that I LOVE.**

**Sorry about this late update! I got caught up in some stuff so...**

**Please leave a review :D**

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	22. Even My Dad Does Sometimes - Part One

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, Bloodstream, and I'm A Mess. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Even My Dad Does Sometimes**

_Tears remind you you're alive_

_it's alright to die_

_'__cause death's the only thing you haven't tried_

_but just for tonight hold on_

**Part One**

The drive back is silent. No one remarks on the service or the weather, or anything. We sit the SUV, and when we arrive at the Lightwood house, we get out and mutely enter.

I walk right through the house and back outside again, sitting on the porch. It started to drizzle during the drive and now I let the water drip through my hair. I can tell that someone is watching me from inside but I don't call out to them. Staring at the deck boards beneath my feet, dark with rain, I tried to get the picture of Clary in her casket out of my mind. I watch droplets roll between the grains of the wood sinking and eventually fading.

I stick my palm out, facing the sky. I let the water collect for a while before drawing back. I like to think that it's raining because the heavens are sad for our loss. At least they gained another angel.

I'm not sure how long I sit outside, but my suit is soaked and I feel chilled to the bone. I hear footsteps behind me and I wait for the other person to say something.

"It's okay to cry, Jace." The voice is too deep to be anyone's but Robert's. I feel a hand on my shoulder and Robert stands behind me for several minutes.

"Maryse is going crazy inside. She thinks you're all shutting her out." I scowl at his words. My fiancée just _died_ and she worries I'm shutting her out?

"Not everything's about her." I grumble, longing to cross my arms across my chest. I feel this might be considered a childish gesture, however, so I refrain. I hear Robert chuckle behind me.

"Try telling her that. Come on." He lightly urges me to get up. For a moment I wonder if it's even possible. I've been sitting in this chair for hours – I know because I watch the sun lower, set, and sky darken.

"Fine. But she's being a bitch." I wouldn't usually refer to my adoptive mother this way but I'm feeling particularly bitter right now.

I can hear Robert sigh as his hand leaves my shoulder. The screen door slides open and shut and I'm once again left in the rain.

I do eventually get up and walk into the living room, dripping wet. I see Alec and Isabelle sitting glumly on the couch, and I wonder if they were guilt tripped by Robert too.

"Jace, go upstairs and change. You're soaking wet." Maryse chides my from the armchair next to the fireplace. I want to scream at her; she's acting like nothing happened today, like I'm a child acting out.

I storm past her and up the stairs, dripping everywhere. Once I'm in my room, I make sure to slam the door. My bookshelves slightly rattle, but otherwise there was no real impact. I throw open my dresser drawers and pull out a t-shirt and sweatpants. That's seems to be all I've worn for the last few weeks.

Once I'm changed I leave the soaking tux on my floor. I know it'll piss Maryse off so that's exactly why I leave it.

I creep into the hallway and sit on the floor, just beside the staircase. I'm hidden by a wall so no one can see me but I listen to their conversation.

"…acting unusual." I hear Maryse finish. I clench my fists, knowing she's talking about me. It's the tone she uses that makes me know.

"Of course he's acting unusual! His _fiancée_ just _died_!" I hear Isabelle scream at her mother. I feel slightly comforted that she stands up for me.

"Mom she was our friend, we knew her for years and you act like she's a goldfish we just flushed down the toilet. Just because you can't feel compassion don't think we can't." I hear Alec calmly say. I've never heard him be so rude, especially to his own mother.

"Alexander Gideon Lightwood! You will not speak to me in that manner!" Maryse shouts back. I wonder if Robert is even in the room; he's being unusually silent if he is.

"I think we all need a bit of time." I hear Izzy quietly say. I hear rustling and then the door slams. I wait to hear who is still here.

"Where do you think she'll go?" This is Isabelle again, which means Maryse left.

"Probably a motel or something." Alec doesn't sound concerned. "Come on, Iz. Let's go to bed." I hear them get up and I scramble to get back into my room. I don't want them to catch me eavesdropping.

Knowing Alec, he'll check up on me before going to sleep. I throw myself onto my bed, hoping I look like I'm sleeping. My limbs are awkwardly splayed as I lie on my side but I don't have time to adjust myself before the door opens. Someone steps into my room and I can tell that they're picking up the tux. Then the door closes and I'm alone. I take a deep breath and roll onto my back.

It's been one hell of a day.

* * *

><p><strong>Hello everyone<strong>

**Sorry about no update yesterday; a family emergency came up and I didn't even think to let you guys know. Everything is okay now, so there shouldn't be anymore interruptions until the end. ****I hope this chapter made up for the lack of chapter yesterday, especially since I uploaded early :)**

**I hope everyone is still enjoying 'Afire Love', but I realized a few days ago that I wasn't happy with the way that I ended it, and there will probably be 40 chapters now. It's crazy to think that when I first planned this story, I only expected 15-20 chapters.**

**Be sure to read the collab that mja . awesome and I are writing. It's called 'The Golden Solider' and you can find it on my profile**

**Thanks for the awesome reviews; I get so ecstatic when I see the review count go up. Please leave me a review and make my day :)**

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	23. Even My Dad Does Sometimes - Part Two

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, Bloodstream, and I'm A Mess. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Even My Dad Does Sometimes**

_Tears remind you you're alive_

_it's alright to die_

_'__cause death's the only thing you haven't tried_

_but just for tonight hold on_

**Part Two**

About an hour after the house goes quiet, I get up to go to the kitchen. I haven't eat since breakfast this morning and I'm starving.

I walk into the hall and down a few stairs before realizing there's someone in the living room. At first I think Maryse has come back, but the person is too broad to be Maryse. The figure is hunched over their knees, and I think I can see a glass of amber liquid in their hand. It only takes a minute for me to identify this person as Robert.

There are papers on the coffee table in front of him. I can't read them from on the stairs, but I might be able to get better view if I go down and talk to him.

I finish the descent and Robert hears me. His head whips around and his dark eyes find mine. His shoulders relax when he sees it's me and he waves me over, not saying anything.

I pad across the living room, settling down next to him. He quickly scoops up the papers and shuffles them straight before flipping them upside-down on the table. But I manage to read one word before he flips them.

"Why are you up, Jace?" He asks, voice slightly scratchy.

"Hungry." I mumble, not focused. The word on the papers is throwing me off.

"Well let's get some food then." He seems overly eager to get away from the papers. He sets the amber drink down and walks to the kitchen.

I follow him and sit down at the dining table while he roots through the fridge. He pulls out a Tupperware container and grabs two forks from the cutlery drawer. Robert comes over and sits across from me.

"Are you alright Jace? I know it's a dumb question, but really Jace, there's no need to be strong right now." His words touch some part of me that no one has ever reached. Before I even know what's happening, tears splatter the table.

"Hey, it's okay. There's nothing wrong with crying." Robert reaches across the table and puts a strong hand on my shoulder. I nod as his words, letting the tears come out. I wipe my cheeks; I don't even know why I'm crying. Sometimes you just need to let go I guess.

Robert opens the container and hands me a fork. Inside the Tupperware is left-over pasta, I assume from whatever dinner Maryse made while I was outside. We both eat for a while, Robert carefully eying me. Once we're done, Robert gets up to put the container and forks away.

I remain seated at the table, an unasked question sitting on my tongue. I long to ask him, but I wonder if it will be considered inappropriate.

Everything washed, Robert walks back to the living room. He picks up his glass and the papers, starting towards the stairs.

"Goodnight Jace." He begins to walk up, but I hurried stand up and follow him.

"Wait. Robert…" He turns to look at me, angling the papers so I can't read them. I don't need to.

"Are you and Maryse getting a divorce?" I instantly feel bad for asking; it's none of my business. I feel blush creep across my face and I lower my gaze to the carpeted stairs. I hear Robert sigh, and for a moment I think he's going to confide in me.

"Goodnight Jace." His tone is final and he continues to walk up the stairs, striding down the hall towards the master bedroom. I stay on the stairs for a few minutes before turning into my own room and attempting to go to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Hello wonderful readers :)<strong>

**I forgot to proofread yesterday's chapter, so I'm going to do that now.**

**I feel like this chapter was awkwardly written... Thoughts?**

**If you aren't following my Wattpad, you definitely should. My username is aftertales**

**So... I got some SUPER AWESOME NEWS! Afire Love has reached OVER 10,000 READS! I am blown away by the fact that I've gotten that many views in just over twenty days. 10k is amazing!**

**Okay, I guess that's it from me :) **

**Oh! Check out 'The Golden Soldier' (on my profile). It's a TMI collab by mja . awesome and me **

**Be sure to leave an extra-great review today!**

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	24. Runaway - Part One

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, Bloodstream, and I'm A Mess. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Runaway**

_And this is what I'm gonna do_

_gonna runaway, gonna make that move_

_gonna grab clothes, and when it's morning, go_

**Part One**

I lie on my bed for a while, staring at the ceiling. It occurs to me that there's nothing stopping me from leaving. I'm a twenty-three year old man still living in his adoptive parent's house. Alec and Izzy are only here for the summer before going back to college in a few weeks (they decided to start a bit late this year for obvious reasons) but I don't have any plans. Once Alec and Izzy are gone, I'll have no one left.

I sit up, looking into my dark room. I stare into my open closet and can just make out the edge of a duffel bag. On a whim, I stand up and stride to the closet, plucking the bag off the top shelf. I bought it a few years ago when I travelled to France, but I haven't used it since.

As quietly as I can, I open my dresser drawers. I grab some t-shirts and a couple sweaters. Then I pack underwear, socks and a few pairs of jeans. I also make sure to grab my wallet. Once I think I have enough clothing I wonder about toiletries. I know I can't bring everything, but I'll grab a few things from the bathroom.

One glance at the clock on my bedside table tells me that I need to hurry if I want to go. Isabelle usually gets up around six, and it's five-fifteen now.

I step into the bathroom across the hall and shut the door. I flick the light switch and the room is filled with blinding light. I mutter a few curses as I blink the spots out of my vision.

I open the cabinet and take out my toothbrush, toothpaste, and deodorant. The rest of my stuff is either unnecessary or easily replaced. I'm about to close to the cabinet door when a bottle catches my eye.

It's a pill bottle on the top shelf. I know Maryse takes them to help with a heart condition. I hesitate for a moment before grabbing the bottle. I know I can't take them all, but I pour a few into my palm and wrap them in a tissue. I put the bottle back and close the cabinet door.

I leave the bathroom, light turned off, and slip back into my room. The bag is still on my bed where I left it and I throw the stuff I grabbed inside. I keep the tissue in my hand, however.

The clock tells me that it's five-twenty now and I only have time to maybe write a note and leave. I want to be a reasonable distance before Izzy wakes up and finds the note.

I find a scrap of paper on my desk and pick up a pen.

_Dear Lightwoods,_

_I have made the decision to leave. Maybe a new start is just what I need. Know that by looking for me would go against my wishes for I do not want to be found._

_Please know that me leaving is not anyone's fault. After Clary's passing I came to the realization that perhaps it's time for me to move on and stop relying on others._

_Thank you for being my family when I needed one. But now I think it's time for me to be independent._

_All the best, Jace_

There's a lot more I want to say, but it took me ten minutes to come up with that, so I have to go now.

I set the note on my pillowcase and put the duffel bag strap over my shoulder. I smooth the creases in my sheet and look around the room, knowing I won't see it again if I'm successful.

I tuck my phone into my pocket and leave my bedroom, shutting the door quietly. I still have the tissue in my right hand as I pad down the stairs. Once in the foyer, I set down the bag only to put my jacket on. I tuck the pills into my inner pocket of the jacket before lifting the bag again.

I decide to leave the door unlocked. If everything works the way I assume it will, Isabelle will rush downstairs after finding my note and she'll see the unlocked door anyways. Besides, I don't want the temptation of returning home, and that's what the key will be.

"Goodbye." I whisper as I leave.

Goodbye forever.

* * *

><p><strong>Yes; Jace is running away. What will happen when he endeavors into the city on his own?<strong>

**I can believe it but yesterday I received almost another 1000 reads, meaning I'm already super close to 11k!**

**New chapter tomorrow; be sure to read it! If you haven't noticed, in the story description I mention an OC. The OC will be introduced soon (I'm not giving any information about what will happen with the OC!) **

**In your review, guess what the OC's name will be... HINT: I have mentioned the OC's name in EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER, but maybe you skipped over it...**

**That's the only clues you will receive for the OC's identity ;)**

**Thanks for the great reviews so far, I love hearing your guys' feedback :D**

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	25. Runaway - Part Two

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, Bloodstream, and I'm A Mess. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Runaway**

_And this is what I'm gonna do_

_gonna runaway, gonna make that move_

_gonna grab clothes, and when it's morning, go_

**Part Two**

I walk down the Lightwood's driveway, then down the road, and eventually I find myself in New York City. They chose a neighbourhood close to the city so commuting wouldn't be a problem, and now I use it as way to run away.

I don't know if it counts as running away since I was allowed to legal leave move out five years ago. It feels like I'm running away, however, since I did all the clichés like packing a bag, writing a note, grabbing all my money, etc.

The street I'm walking down is quiet. There aren't very many people walking around, but there are clubs and bars along the road. There are also numerous foreboding alleys that are squeezed between the buildings, but the only things I see down there are dumpsters and the occasional homeless person.

I suppose I'm homeless now too. I know that I can go to Lightwoods if I want to, they'll always take me in, but everything from my old life is just a painful reminder now.

I keep walking down the street, passing the empty joints that will later fill with blasting music and writhing patrons. I need to find a place to stay for a while, a hotel should do, but I can't pick the closest one. I know that Maryse would have checked into a nearby hotel and I certainly don't want to run into her. Anyways, once Isabelle finds my note she'll start checking all the hotels in the area. The farther I get, the more time I'll have before needing to get up and go.

The sun is starting rise, the sky turning a light shade of purple. I've always found sunrise to be such an auspicious time; for just a moment, anything seems possible. Like, if the sky can turn purple and orange and red and pink and yellow, why can't I be whatever I wish to be? Why can't I fulfill my life goals and desires?

I've walked out of the alcoholic district and now I'm walking through a more business like area; the buildings are cleaner, the windows shine, and the cars cruising the street have tinted windows and polished wheels.

All the hotels in this area are probably too expensive for me with the meager money I have now, but if I go into a bank, I might be able to draw some money from my account. I was saving for the wedding, but now…

I can see a sign for my bank a few blocks ahead. I quicken my pace, readjusting the duffel bag strap as I do so. I've started getting a few odd glances from the business people walking up and down the street.

The bank just opened, so I'm the only customer there. I go to the ATM in the corner. By the time I'm done I have six hundred dollars more in my wallet than before. I know that withdrawing that much might cause suspicion, but I don't have much of a choice since I only had one hundred and thirty dollars before.

I walk out of the bank quickly and head down the street. I hope that after some more walking I'll get into a cheaper section of town where I can find a more affordable place to stay.

The 'expensive district' seems to go on forever. I've been walking over two hours now and have not found a single simple hotel. I feel my nerves and adrenaline coursing through me with each passing minute. I am fully confident that Izzy found my note by now, and each second I remain on the street is another chance for her to come and spot me.

I made a right turn at a large intersection and after a few more blocks, I find a modest hotel. It isn't a towering one with sleek revolving door and parking lot full of Cadillacs; it's a short brown building with a nearly empty parking lot.

I stepped into the lobby, which wasn't nearly as dingy as the building's exterior, and up to the front counter. A young girl, perhaps only a year or two younger than me really, stands bored behind the desk.

Once she sees me she visibly perks up, back straightening and eye's widening. I could have sworn she pushed her shoulders back and chest out a bit, but I keep my eyes on her face. She flirtatiously twirls her long blonde hair and cocks her head to the side. I want to scowl, but I need a room.

"Hey there. Need a place to stay?" Her voice is slurred slightly by a Southern accent that I am about 90% sure is fake. She widens her brown eyes and bats her mascara-cloaked lashes.

"Yeah. How much for room with a single bed?" I dropped my and bag and pulled out my wallet in anticipation. Her eyebrows momentarily shoot up at 'single bed', but she types something into a computer and looks away. When she looks up again the flirty attitude is mostly gone. Mostly.

"Single bed room would be, uh, forty bucks a night." She seems to change the price just before it comes out of her mouth, which makes me question her honesty.

"Okay, can I pay as I go?" I pull forty dollars out and hand it to her over the counter. She shrugs and gets me the room key.

"Whatever. You're in room 218 on the second floor. There's a stairwell at the end of that" she points down the nearby hallway, "hall. We don't serve breakfast here and the cleaning people come at noon. If you're paying as you go you pay _me_ every morning." She sounds bored again and the feeling is mutual. I nod as she talks and shoulder my bag.

"Okay, thanks." She nods and returns to whatever she was doing before. I head down the hallway she indicated and pass a few other rooms.

My room is fairly small and simple; bed, TV, small media center for the TV, table, chair, lamp, and then the bathroom. I drop my bag on the bed and walk over to the curtained window. I pull the curtains away to see what my view is, but it turns out to be the parking lot. _Fun_, I think to myself, _I get to watch cars all day. Oh wait! There are no cars._

I turn away from the window and flop down on my bed, head sinking into the flimsy pillow. I push my bag away and it slides onto the floor with a _whump!_. I sigh and rub my face with my hands. I feel stubble since I haven't shaved for a few days. I didn't bring my razor, so I'll have to buy one soon.

I kick my shoes off and take my phone out of my pocket, setting it next to the clock. Curling up on my side, I descend into dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys!<strong>

**I only proof-read half of this chapter because I'm lazy... I'll finish editing it later. My brother is talking to his friend's right now and I can't focus :S**

**I think this is the longest chapter yet... :O It's not very long but it's longer than most of my other ones.**

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	26. Runaway - Part Three

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, Bloodstream, and I'm A Mess. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Runaway**

_And this is what I'm gonna do_

_gonna runaway, gonna make that move_

_gonna grab clothes, and when it's morning, go_

**Part Three**

When I wake the room is dark. The window that I looked out of earlier now permits very little light and I didn't turn on any lamps before crashing.

With the fuzziness of sleep now gone, I groan and sit up. The digital clock next to my bed reads 8:43 and I realize that I've been sleeping for much longer than I thought. With nothing else to do now, I lift my bag off the floor and start unpacking.

The 'media center' for the TV is really just a dresser with a TV on top. I'm putting my few clothing articles in one of the drawers when I hear a buzzing sound. For I moment, I wonder if there's a fly in the room. Then I realize it's my phone.

I hesitate. I know now that bringing my phone might have been a bad decision; temptation to return to my old life. Biting my lip, I walk over and check my messages.

Thirty-eight missed messages. Twenty-two missed calls. Even six failed video chats. I wince and bit my lip harder, getting a burst of blood. They're mostly from Izzy and Alec but as I keep scrolling I even see a few from Simon, Magnus and Robert. There's one message from Maryse.

Hey Jace. Please come home, Isabelle and Alec are going crazy here.

I shake my head in disgust; that's it? _She_ isn't worried but Izzy and Alec are? Obviously my adoptive siblings are worried but my own adoptive _mother_ doesn't care?

I flip my phone screen down onto the table. I don't need the temptations. I get up and open the drawers again, pulling out a new shirt to wear. I'm going out.

I slip the tight black shirt over my torso and it shows off my sculpted physique well. I keep the same jeans on and retie my shoes. I grab my wallet and head to the door, before abruptly stopping.

I still have well over six hundred dollars in it; I couldn't go out with that much. I find the safe in my room – surprisingly there is one – and I put four hundred dollars away. I set the password as _2308_; Clary's birthday. With a shaky sigh, I stand up and walked to the door, my room card tucked in my jeans pocket.

I walk back down to the lobby and see the same girl who checked me in behind the desk. She's reading a magazine and painting her nails at the same time; women. I make an internal sounds between a groan and a sigh as I walk up to the counter. Her eyes flick up to me and she sets the magazine and polish bottle down.

"Yeah?" She sounds annoyed mixed with mild interest.

"Are there any restaurants in the area?" I ask, setting my elbows onto the counter. She wrinkles her nose slightly and grabs a pen. With her new manicure, she carefully scribbles something onto a notepad before ripping it off and handing it to me.

"Here. Go to this place, they serve until eleven-thirty and the meals are cheap but good. Ask for Elise and say that Minnie sent you." I stare at her for a moment and she waves the note again.

"Hello? Take it." I snatch the note and turn to leave without thanking her. She goes back to multitasking as I leave the hotel. It's not until I'm walking down the street that I actually look at the address she gave me.

_289 West Ave. – Frankie's Diner_

_Ask for Elise; Minnie sent you_

So I guess the girl in the lobby was named Minnie. Or at least that was what she went by. The hotel was 246 West Ave., so I just had to keep walking.

It was probably nine o'clock by now, but it was still light outside. That was the thing about summer; the days never seemed to end.

I keep walking for a few minutes, keeping a leisure pace. Finally I spot a little restaurant wedged between building; like everything else in New York. A sign for it reads 'Frankie's Diner', but the 'r' and the 'n' in 'Frankie's' had slightly faded, making me read the sign as 'Fakie's Diner' at first. I chuckled as I crossed the street to get to the diner.

Inside it was a simple diner; plain floors, full of tables, and the walls were covered in newspaper clippings. My eyes stared at the walls for a while, reading snippets of the articles and headlines. A waitress meets me by the door and smiles.

"Hey there. Just one tonight? Or are you waiting for your date?" She asked with a wink. Her brown hair is big and flows from her head down to her shoulders, where the ends curl perfectly. It reminds me of the way some women in the sixties would do their hair.

"Just one – oh, are you Elise?" I remember what Minnie told me just as my waitress leads me to a table.

"Yes, did Minnie send you?" She asks knowingly. I nod and she smiles. I sit down at a table and she pats my shoulder.

"Well, that means Miss Minnie has a fancying towards you. Meal's on the house." She smiles wider at my bewildered expression. This women looks _and_ talks like she's from the sixties. I even hear a slight Southern accent – real, though. Not like the one I hear from Minnie.

The waitress, Elise, leaves after setting a menu down, before I can ask anything. She walks off to the kitchen, leaving me to peer down at the menu.

"Hey Jace." I hear someone call me from not too far. A few tables away from me sits a dark haired girl. Her green eyes are sparkling with mischief and she stands up to walk to my table.

"_Nina_?"

* * *

><p><strong>Hello readers :)<strong>

**So yes, Nina is the name of my mysterious OC... ;) Congrats to xoxNxox for guessing correctly!**

**This chapter is unedited because I'm very lazy right now. I'll probably edit it later today..? We'll see.**

**Thanks for the reviews; can I get a few more today? My goal is 80+ reviews... So please leave one!**

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	27. Nina - Part One

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, Bloodstream, and I'm A Mess. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Nina**

_And I've been living on the road Nina_

_but then again you should know Nina_

_'cause that's you and me both_

_Nina oh, won't you leave me now_

**Part One**

Nina sits across from me and I stare in bewilderment. She toys with the straw in my water glass and smirks. Her nails are painted a deep red that matches her red lipstick.

"Wha-what are you _doing_ here? Last time I saw you was in France!" I can't believe Nina is here in New York. I'm not sure it's a good thing.

"Psh, I move around all the time." She waves her hand nonchalantly and sits back in her chair.

"So what have you been up to Goldilocks?" Nina uses her old nickname for me. I refrain from gritting my teeth.

"I don't even know where to start, a lot has happened since I saw you." I see Elise exiting the kitchen and I silently pray that she'll come over here and stop this conversation. I may have had fun with Nina then, but I'm different now.

"How about the romantic life? Still a bed-and-abandon guy?" Nina smirks as Elise walks to our table, eyebrows turned upwards in surprise.

"Have you decided what you're ordering?" Elise asks, saving me from having to answer. She looks at me but sends confused looks to Nina.

"I'll have a cheeseburger and coke. You can leave the fries off; I'm not very hungry." I say, handing her the menu. Nina snorts and rolls her eyes, like the idea of me not being hungry is ridiculous. Elise just nods and looks to Nina.

"Will you be ordering something?" I secretly hope that Nina will say something like 'Oh look at the time! I best be off!', or 'No thanks, I've got to go.'.

Instead, she orders a chocolate milkshake.

"Alright. That'll be ready in a few minutes." Elise smiles and leaves us to talk. I see her wink at me when Nina can't see but I choose to ignore it.

"So; how are you doing with the girls? Or, are you not into girls anymore? Is it guys? Both? Do tell, Jace." She plays with the straw in my untouched water and tilts her head. I know she's just trying to push my buttons, but it's working. I wish she would just leave.

"I was engaged." The words slip out of my mouth before I can stop them. I instantly want to take them back; why would tell her that?

"Was?" Nina questions, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes, 'was'." I say, not wanting to get into it. Telling her I was engaged is one thing. Telling her that my fiancée died before we could get married is another. I'm not ready to talk about it yet, _especially_ not with _her._

"Well, what happened? Did she catch you with another woman?" I roll my eyes and Nina sits up straighter.

"Wait. Did _you_ catch _her_ with another man?" Why is everything so indecent with Nina?

"_No_. Just let it go, okay? I was engaged, and now I'm not. I also not interested in having a serious love life anymore." I really wish Nina would leave me alone.

"No serious love life; what about a fling?" Nina questions as Elise comes out of the kitchen again.

"Really Nina? I'm not sleeping with you – if this is where the conversation is headed." I sit back in my chair and refuse to meet her gaze, instead staring at the speckled tabletop. I can make out her pouty lips in my peripheral vision.

"One cheeseburger no fries, and here's your coke. That milkshake will be right out." Elise sets my meal down and turns back to the kitchen. The burger looks good so I ignore Nina and start eating.

Nina's milkshake comes right after and we lapse into an awkward silence of Nina glaring at me and me eating. When I finish I look up at Nina.

"Seriously; we had a little fun a few years ago, but I'm not into that anymore. Please let it go Nina." I beg her as I pull out my wallet. Elise said the meal was on the house but that doesn't mean I can't tip her.

"Why not? You said yourself it was fun; and your fiancée clearly isn't in the picture anymore–" I stop listening after that. She doesn't know anything, she doesn't matter.

"Goodbye Nina." I leave a twenty on the table and walk to the door.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey everyone!<strong>

**What do you think of Nina? Do you think we'll be seeing anymore of her? Why is Nina in New York?**

**So I got a review from a guest saying that they don't know where the story is going. The only way to find out is to just keep reading! I know it's a little confusing, but I worked really hard on this story so please keep that in mind :)**

**Yesterday we almost got to 80 reviews, but not quite. Today my goal is 85; we can do that right? Yeah! So leave a review in that box (I know you can see it) and press the Post Review button!**

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	28. Nina - Part Two

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, Bloodstream, and I'm A Mess. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Nina**

_And I've been living on the road Nina_

_but then again you should know Nina_

_'cause that's you and me both_

_Nina oh, won't you leave me now_

**Part Two**

The walk back to the hotel feels longer than before. The sun has set by now and I swear the temperature dropped ten degrees.

I walk into the hotel lobby and see that Minnie is still behind the desk. She's abandoned the magazine and now is scrolling through something on her phone.

"How was your dinner?" She asks without looking up. I walk to the hall without answering her and head to my room. I can just hear her mumble something that sounds pretty rude, but I ignore it.

I walk into my room and shut the door with a soft click. I take a deep breath and lean against the door. Why did Nina have to show up? Why did she have to be in New York, in that diner, at the same time as me? After all that has happened, why can't I just catch a break?

When I was in France several years ago, I met her at a club. We had fun, but I wasn't serious about love back then. I met Clary shortly after my return to New York, meaning Nina was my last fling.

Now she was in New York; God knows why. I was tempted to punch a wall, but I'd probably have to pay for the damage and I didn't feel much like doing that.

I walk over to the bed and pick up my phone. The screen lights up and shows me the missed messages and calls I've accumulated in the time I was gone. It's nearly ten o'clock, which means I was gone for about an hour.

A knock at my door made me nearly drop my phone. Who would be at my hotel room door? I read the first bit of Isabelle's last message, without opening the conversation, to see if she sent anything like 'We know where you are!', but there's just 'please come back'.

The person knocks again and I tentatively get up, setting my phone down.

I close the distance between the bed and the door, a small distance really, and set my hand on the door knob. They knock and third time and I swing the door open just as they do.

None other than Nina stumbles into my room.

"What the hell?" I shout as she adjusts herself. She's wearing a black dress that is too short for anything but clubbing. Was she wearing that in the restaurant? I can't remember.

"Hey Jace." Nina calmly says. She runs her had over her dress to get it smooth against her curvy figure. She also fiddles with her dark hair, which is curly unlike Isabelle's. She actually looks a fair bit like Isabelle; dark hair, curvy but not fat or skinny, tall, and skin slightly coloured by her European background. But she's no Clary.

"How did you find my hotel? And my freaking _room_!" I exclaim, gesturing at my room. Nina walks further into the room and I subconsciously close the door.

"There aren't very many cheap hotels in the area. And that girl in the lobby doesn't mind talking." Nina walks over to the bed and sits down.

"Single bed?" She questions, an eyebrow raised. I'm starting to wonder if that eyebrow is permanently stuck up there or something.

"Yes. A single bed." I reply curtly, walking over to the chair. It's obvious she isn't leaving anytime soon. I may not want her for company, but I know Nina well enough that she's stubborn and won't leave until she wants to.

Nina keeps looking around and spots something on the bedside table and her hand reaches out. I stay in my chair and tilt my head back; is she seriously fascinated by a clock?

"Jace…" Her voice is different, not sweet and flirty. Now it's almost… concerned. I snap my gaze to her and realize what she has in her hands.

_My phone_.

"Nina!" I practically shout, leaping from the chair. I move around the bed and reach for the phone, but she rolls backwards over the bed and onto her feet. At any other time I'd find this cat-and-mouse game amusing, but not now. Her eyes are fixed on the screen, slightly moving as she reads.

"Nina. Please, just give it back. This doesn't concern you." My reach out my hand across the bed and she takes a step back towards the window.

"Jace, what's going on?" Her eyes find my, and they're filled with sadness. I don't know which conversation she read or how much, but it was clearly enough.

"It doesn't matter. Just give me the goddamn phone!" My voice rises to a shout without me meaning to and Nina flinches. Then she scowls and throws the phone onto the bed.

"Fine." She takes her purse off her shoulder and opens it. After a moment of rummaging, she pulls out a business card.

"Take this. In case you change your mind." Nina then walks around the bed and past me on her way to the door. I'm torn between apologizing and letting her go. By the time I choose, she's already gone.

* * *

><p><strong>Currently unedited :|<strong>

**Dear Guest 'Ally': Please stop saying that you don't know where the story is going. Last chapter I already noted that you'll just have to keep reading and see, so please do that.**

**Okay, just had to put that because it was annoying me. But it goes to everyone; if you don't understand what's going to happen, then just wait! I post a new chapter everyday so it's not like you have to wait very long.**

**Now, speaking of 'I post a new chapter everyday'... That may not apply in a few days. This story is wrapping up, so there isn't much left to write/upload, but I will be on vacation soon. August 14-18 I will be on vacation, so chapter may come sporadically or not at all. I will put all of the chapter sin my Doc Manager before I leave, but whether or not I am able to find time to upload is a different story. During that time please be patient :)**

**Sorry for the long author's note! Pleas please PLEASE leave a review! Lately I've been getting very few and it makes me sad :'(**

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	29. Nina - Part Three

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, Bloodstream, and I'm A Mess. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Nina**

_And I've been living on the road Nina_

_but then again you should know Nina_

_'cause that's you and me both_

_Nina oh, won't you leave me now_

**Part Three**

I sit down on the bed and move my phone onto the dresser. Why is everything so complicated?

Nina's business card lays on my knee and I read it over and over again. It's just her name, phone number, and job title, but I have nothing else to do.

Apparently, Nina's a singer; Nina Palomino, better known as Nina, Nia, or Ni-Ni. I met her at a performance at a club in France, but I didn't know how famous she was. The card has her agent's number and, scrawled on the back, her cell number.

I decide to text her.

Pulling out my phone, I tap the digits into the address bar and write a quick message.

Sorry for what happened.

I send it before I can regret it and stare at the screen, waiting to see if she'll read it.

_Wow_, I think to myself. _I cannot believe I've sunk to the level of texting my previous hook-ups and desperately waiting for an answer_.

I don't want to talk to Nina, but I don't want her mad at me either. I need to at least have her acknowledge my apology. I secretly hope she won't text back. Regardless, I still wait.

And wait.

And wait.

I wait until I realize that it's past eleven-thirty. Nina was in my hotel room for about ten minutes, so until 10:10 roughly. Then, she has to get back to wherever she's staying, so maybe a half-hour drive. By the time she arrived she would have been too tired to check her messages.

_Come on, Jace. Sleep for God's sake._ I know that I should sleep; it's late and today's still only day one of my great escape. I change into just my boxer shorts and a t-shirt and turn off the lights.

I wake up blearily, the wisps of a dream slipping away like water through my fingers. I faintly remember a lock of flaming hair and a light, happy laugh, but it's faded away now.

I sit up and look around the room. A faint morning lights bathes everything in a soft glow. This is one of those rare but perfect scenes I could have imagined Clary drawing.

My phone rests on the night table next to the bed. Still under the sheets, I reach over and check my messages. There's one from Nina.

It's fine. Can we meet up?

It's just a little past nine o'clock now, and the message came in ten minutes ago. I bit my lip and send a quick reply.

The diner at 9:45.

I let the message send and get up to take a quick shower.

When I come out, I change into a pair of dark jeans and a mossy green V-neck that Clary bought for me a few years ago. My hair still slightly damp, I check to see if Nina responded.

See you there.

I nod to myself and check the time again; nine twenty. I have just over twenty minutes to get to the diner. Quickly tying my shoes, I take my wallet, phone, and key before leaving the hotel room.

Minnie isn't at the front desk this morning, meaning I can't pay for today's stay. Instead there's a scrawny man with greasy hair. His eyes are slightly narrowed and he has a pointed nose. There's a pencil-thin mustache just above his lip that is curled at the ends. His dark hair is slicked back with what looks like natural oil, and he has slight sideburns. He's reading a book and doesn't look up at me as I hurriedly walk to the door.

The street is void of traffic; only the occasional car cruising at what I always identify as 'kidnapper speed'. They roll slowly along the street, just slow enough to freak people out, and just fast enough to be considered moving.

When I get to Frankie's, it looks like I'm the only customer there. The store window says that they open at nine am all days of the week, so I walk in and wait for someone to greet me.

After a minute of standing and waiting, a short girl with blonde ringlets comes out of the kitchen. She seems surprised to see me and lets out a little 'Oh!' before grabbing a menu and rushing over.

"Hi, I'm Lulu. Will you be eating alone today?" she asks, walking me over to a table. Her hair is piled in a sloppy bun, but several curls have fallen out and frame her thin face.

"No, my friend should be arriving soon." I bring out my phone for the time just as it turns to nine forty-five.

"Alright, well here's our breakfast menu. Can I get you a drink to start? Coffee, tea, juice…" I give a toothless smile and nod.

"Coffee's fine, thank you." She grins and nods, scribbling it on her notepad.

"Okay then, I'll be back in a few minutes." She disappears and give the menu a quick glance. Less than a minute later, she reappears and sets a coffee mug down on the Formica table.

Between my internal battle between having bacon and eggs or a stack of pancakes, a hear the door jingle as someone opens it. I assume Lulu isn't taking a smoke break, so I turn and see Nina walk in. She gives me a small smile, which I don't return, and walks over.

Today she's wearing a pair of well-ripped white jeans and a red tank top. Over the tank top she has a sheer black cardigan matched with a pair of black platform heels that make her at least my height, if not taller.

Nina sets her purse to it hangs off her chair and she takes a seat. She smiles and takes a drink from my coffee cup.

"So." She starts, setting my cup down.

"That was my coffee!" I exclaim. She rolls her eyes.

"Why did you want to talk, Jace?" She sets her hands on the table, clasped together.

"I _ordered_ that!" I whine, still upset. There's now a red lip-mark from where she took a sip.

"Come on, Jace. Are we going to talk about your sister telling you to come home or are we going to argue about coffee?" She stares me I the eye and I sigh. She knows that I've been stalling.

"Fine. I guess I should start with my I'm no longer engaged…"

* * *

><p><strong>Hello everyone :)<strong>

**I just want to answer some unasked questions, because I feel like people are going to ask them and I don't feel like individually answering everyone.**

1. Is Jace going to date Nina?!

***sigh* While this might count as a SPOILER, the answer is no. Jace will not date Nina.**

2. Does Jace like Nina?

**Jace has not seen Nina in a long time, and even so they did not know each other well. For now they are trying to get to know each other; as friends. For Jace, no one can ever replace Clary.**

**So I hope that cleared up a little bit, since those were kind of spoilers... But I want you guys to keep reading! Keep this motto in mind:**

**"Everything will be good in the end. If it's not good, it's not the end."**

**Aka: just because you can't tell what's about to happen, doesn't mean you should stop reading! Wait and find out ;)**

**Sorry for the super long author's note... Please leave a review! I'd like to get 100+ before I leave for vacation in about 4 days**

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	30. Nina - Part Four

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, Bloodstream, and I'm A Mess. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Nina**

_And I've been living on the road Nina_

_but then again you should know Nina_

_'cause that's you and me both_

_Nina oh, won't you leave me now_

**Part Four**

"…and I decided that I couldn't stand to be with everyone. It's just too painful to remember. So I left and now I'm here. In a few days I'll probably move farther away. After a while I'll look for a permanent residence but for now I think I can stick to hotels for now." I finished the long story as we both polished off our meals. We'd ordered, received, and started eating during me talking.

"So that's it? You just give up and disappear?" Nina is swirling the straw in her orange juice cup. After ordering me a new coffee, she got the orange juice for herself.

"You don't understand, you didn't know Clary. I couldn't bear to stay and I needed to leave anyways. I'm twenty-three Nina; I should have moved out long ago. Now I have, the timing is just bad." I argue, clenching my hands under the table.

"Seriously Jace? Can't you see that you obviously aren't the only person hurting? You left them when they were more vulnerable and you claim that you're the victim. You need to go back." Nina sounds exasperated but still strong. I know she won't let it go.

"But…" I have nothing to say. Why does she have to be so right? I can't argue with what she's saying. I set my elbows on the table and put my forehead in my hands.

I feel Nina's hand on my arm, just a light pat. I shake my head anxiously.

"I – I can't go back. It's too late now." I shakily sigh.

"No it's not. It's never too late Jace." I lift my head and look into her caring green eyes.

"How about we go back tomorrow?" She offers as I bite my lip.

"Fine. Fine whatever." I sigh getting out my wallet to pay for my breakfast. Nina pulls back and gives a tight smile.

"Alright, good. Do you want to go out tonight?" She tentatively asks I pull out a few bills. My head jerks up and she quickly rephrases her sentence.

"Sorry, not like a date or anything, just go out. Like friends." This was the first time I'd heard Nina stumble over her words. Her cheeks slightly flushed and I give her a genuine smile.

"I guess. Can you drive?" I ask, standing up and getting ready to leave. Nina mirrors me, sliding her purse over her head and onto one shoulder.

"Sure. I'll text you later. I have an meeting with my agent and the recording company at eleven thirty so I ought to go now. We might go to the studio after but it shouldn't be too late, we can probably head out around seven?" Nina rambles as we walk to the door. I left a few twenties on the table.

"Sounds great." I say, holding the door open for her. She smiles and gestures towards a silver Mercedes-Benz convertible parked just down the street.

"Well that's my car. I got to go, see you tonight." Nina waves as she walks the opposite direction from my hotel. I wave and start walking down the street.

I feel slightly bad for doing this; is it a date? Nina fervently clarified that it wasn't a date, just an outing for friends, but I couldn't tell. Nina and I had a past, that I'd really rather not start again.

* * *

><p><strong>PLEASE DON'T HATE ME Y'ALL!<strong>

**It's not a date, I swear!**

**So yeah, please don't kill me for this. It set's stuff up for the story later.**

**This chapter was a bit shorter than I would have liked, but since I have everything pretyped I don't like changing things and adding stuff.**

**Thanks for the reviews yesterday :D Be sure to leave another one today**

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	31. Bloodstream - Part One

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, Bloodstream, and I'm A Mess. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Bloodstream**

_I've been looking for a lover_

_thought I'd find her in a bottle_

**Part One**

Nina texted me at six-fifty saying that she just go in her car to come over. Her message said the drive was about twenty minutes so she would be at the hotel around seven-thirty the latest.

I sent a short 'ok' and got up to change. I'd spent the day in my hotel room utterly bored. When I decided to run away, I hadn't actually thought what I'd _do_. Now I realized that Nina was right; I had to go back. And I would tomorrow.

I change into the nicest shirt I brought with me, a dark blue button down. I didn't intend on bringing this shirt; I accidentally picked it up when I grabbed a bunch of shirts to pack. Now I was grateful to have brought a semi-formal shirt.

I didn't need to wear formal clothes, but decided that looking nice would not be a terrible idea, especially since Nina was well off in the money department and might take me somewhere high-end.

God, I'm overthinking this.

_It's not a date. It's not a date. It's NOT a_– my internal mantra is interrupted by a knock on the door. I grab my wallet, phone, and room key before striding to the door. As a precaution I grab my jacket and slip it on. I made sure to add a few more bills to my wallet earlier, so now I have just over two-hundred dollars. Maybe that's a little much but… Yep, definitely overthinking it.

I open the door and am instantly grateful for wearing my 'formal' shirt. Nina is wearing a white dress that clings to her curves and looks amazing. The white is a stark contrast against her skin, which is a milky caramel colour. The dress is very simple but beautiful; each strap is about an inch wide, the neckline wasn't plunging but did show a fair amount of skin. The dress cut several inches below her hips and ended in a straight line. On her feet she wore white platform heels that crisscrossed over her foot and wound together just above her ankles. They added at least six inches of height.

Her dark curly hair was a bit more refined than usual; the front half was swept up to the back of her head and the rest flowed down her shoulders and back. Her makeup was slight but stunning; faint silver eye shadow, natural pink lipstick, and a little bit of pinkish blush. Hanging from her ear were silver hoop earrings and around her neck was a silver chain, thin and delicate with no pendant.

I felt bad when I gasped. I scolded myself internally for gawking; this was certainly not the time or the person.

"You look good, Nina." I compliment, despite my internal conflict with myself.

"Thanks, you look nice too. Ready to go?" I nod and step into the hallway, shutting the door behind me. Nina starts walking and I see that the dress dips low in the back, showing off a large V-shaped section of her smooth back. A silver clip holds her hair in place. _Not a date, not a date, not a date._ I repeat to myself as we walk down to the lobby.

"Have fun on your date." I hear Minnie call from behind the desk as we walk to the door. I turn at glare at her, but she just winks and reads her magazine.

"So where are we going?" I ask as Nina leads me to her car. She walks around to the driver's side and I take shotgun.

"A good place. Reservation only. You'll like it." Nina cryptically replies, turning the key to start the engine. The car has white leather seats and is posh in every way. The hood of the convertible is currently down and the night is warm. I feel ridiculous sitting among the lavishness.

After driving for about twenty minutes we stop in a high-end district. The buildings are all steel-and-glass with odd angles and, I can only guess, ridiculous price tags. Nina pulls into a parking lot of a brick building with dark-glass and puts the hood up.

"We're here." She smiles and pulls out the key once the car is covered. We both get out and I escort her, as a friend, to the building. It looks empty to me but if Nina chose it then it can't be bad.

"The windows are tinted so people can't see inside." Nina murmurs, as if reading my thoughts. We are walking across the parking lot.

"I made a reservation for eight, we might be a little early." I nod and reach for the door handle, letting Nina walk in ahead of me.

Inside, the place is amazing. There is a leaping fireplace in a the middle of the small restaurant, the flames completely real, and a small scattering of tables. The bricks are visible from the inside and give the place a rustic feel. All of the service staff wear white and black evening wear as they glide from table to table.

A women with graying hair walks up to us. She sees Nina and her eyes light up.

"Ah, Mademoiselle Palomino!" she embraces Nina in a light hug and they give each other small kisses on each cheek; a European standard. The older women's voice is distinctly French. She wears a sweeping black evening gown with a crotched shawl.

"Table for two? Reservation at eight?" She asks, guiding Nina to the dining section. I awkwardly follow behind; the woman has yet to acknowledge me.

"Yes, thank you Madame. A bottle of champagne?" Nina requests, seating herself at a table for two. I take the chair across from her.

"Of course, of course." The older woman smiles and stalks off, leaving me with Nina.

"Alright, what just happened?" I ask, sitting uncomfortably in my chair. The seats are covered with a fine white fabric overtop a cushion, and the same goes for the backs. The tablecloth is a matching fabric; I feel too informal for either.

"That was Madame Desjardins. We go back quite a bit; before my music career took off." Nina looked down at the small menu; there were only six items on it. I decided to do the same.

There were two appetizers; a Caesar salad with anchovies, capers – what on _earth_ is a caper? – and parmigiano reggiano cheese, or a plate of garlic bread made with a fresh baguette, oven-roasted garlic, premium olive oil and a mix of romano cheese and parmigiano reggiano cheese.

I had no idea what half those things were. I looked at the main meals but they were just as fancy and cryptic.

There were four entrées. A red wine braised lamb shoulder with mushrooms, carrots, and pearl onions; a veal piccata with buttered noodles and chives; a pan-seared Alaskan king salmon fillet on a bed of couscous and fried broccolini; and finally a summer salad with baby spinach, mandarin oranges and toasted pine nuts.

"Nina." I whisper across the table. Around us, other couples are dining and chatting, sipping wine and enjoying the candle-light ambience. I, however, am scared out of my skin.

"Mhmm Jace?" Nina doesn't look up from the menu, her tongue slightly running over her top lip.

"What am I supposed to order? I have no clue what this stuff is." I set down my menu and she looks up. A waiter comes over and sets a bucket on the table. Protruding from the top I can see a champagne bottle. He settles two flute glasses down and gives a slight nod before striding purposefully away. Nina pours herself some champagne, the bottle has already been opened, and pours the other glass for me.

"Here." She hands me the bubbly liquid and I accept tight lipped.

"Now, as for the ordering dilemma, I recommend the veal piccata. Although, last time I came I did enjoy the braised lamb…" Her voice fades off as she glances at the menu again and reminisces.

"Just order whatever." She concludes, setting her own menu down. I sigh exasperated and sit back.

"There aren't even prices. How am I supposed to know what I can afford?" I ask giving the menu one last look. Nina laughs.

"Oh Jace, you could never afford something here."

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><p><strong>I don't like the way I finished this chapter...<strong>

**Sorry for the really long boring chapter.**

**So, if you've been following my author's notes, you'll know that this might be my last update for a while. I'm going on vacation so I won't be back until next week. I'll try to fit in updates but it's unlikely.**

**I didn't get any reviews yesterday... So when you're done your review for today, please go back and write a review for yesterday's chapter too. My goal is 100 reviews by the time I get back.**

**Thanks guys!**

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	32. Bloodstream - Part Two & Three

**Hi!**

**I managed to squeeze an upload in before we leave! Whoo-hoo!**

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><p>This fictional story is inspired by the singersongwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, Bloodstream, and I'm A Mess. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Bloodstream**

_I've been looking for a lover_

_thought I'd find her in a bottle_

**Part Two**

I stare an her blankly, not quite understanding. Why would she bring me here if I can't pay for anything? This isn't a date; we'll both pay for our own meals.

"Don't sweat it, Jace. Order what you want; I'm footing the bill. I have a tour coming up in a few weeks, all the ticket money is glory." She smiles and takes another sip of her champagne. I've yet to touch mine.

"No Nina, I'll pay for myself." I splutter, slightly embarrassed.

"Please Jace, do you have any idea how expensive this food is? Just guess how much the salmon costs." She stares at me levelly, eyes challenging.

"Um, thirty dollars?" That sounds reasonably high to me, but Nina laughs.

"Not even close. Alaskan king salmon is sixty dollars apiece." My eyes must pop out of my head since Nina giggles again. A waiter comes back just as she's attempting to cover them up with her hand.

"Have we decided what we will eat tonight?" He politely asks, pulling out a notepad. Nina nods and lifts her menu.

"I'll have the summer salad; he'll have the lamb." Nina sweetly smiles and hand the waiter her menu. He nods and writes something quickly on his notepad. After collecting my menu, he walks away.

"Nina I can't pay for that." I say, trying to catch her attention. She seems oblivious to my panic.

"Jace; it's fine. I got it." She sighs and finishes off her champagne, looking slightly tired.

About thirty minutes later, out meals arrive. Nina gets a white bowl artistically decorated with baby spinach leaves and mandarin slices. There are also some other items that I can't identify. My meal is a white plate with sliced lamb shoulder set in a flower petal pattern. The red wine braising sauce stuff it pooled on the bottom of the plate and a cluster of vegetables in piled where the middle of the flower would be.

"Bon appetit." Our waiter gives us a smile and walks towards another table. Nina starts to eat her salad, leaving me no choice but to start eating my meal. I know that at this point I can no longer refuse and will just be wasting good food.

We eat silently, not making any dinner conversation. I'm fine with this, but Nina seems to be itching to say something. When the waiter comes back to clear our dishes, she finally lets it out.

"Are you tired?" At first I'm thrown by her question, but I shake my head in response. It's only nine-thirty or so.

"Good. The evening isn't done yet Jace." Nina smiles as she drinks her champagne; she's refilled it several times now. I only had one glass.

"Where are we going now?" I ask, setting my napkin down after lightly brushing my mouth. I still have stubble on my face; I should deal with that soon.

"Oh, don't worry. It'll be fun." She smiles and beckons the waiter over so she can pay. I don't like the tone of Nina's voice. Or the confident glint in her eyes. Or the happy smirk on her face.

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><p><strong>Because I don't know when the next upload will be, here's the next chapter too :)<strong>

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><p><strong>Part Three<strong>

"See!" Nina yells. "I told you you'd love it!" I can barely hear her over the throbbing beat of the music. Strobe lights are flashing and swinging over the crowd of people.

After finishing dinner, Nina drove me to 'the best club I've found yet'. The bouncer let her skip the line and she planted a quick kiss on his cheek before wiggling inside, me right behind.

Now we work our way through the dancing mob, heading to the bar. I need a drink. Nina is holding my hand, tugging me past girls gyrating and guys cockily joining in. She turns her head and smiles at me.

"Come _on,_ Jace!" She keeps pulling me and I follow behind her. Her hair has fallen out of the pin and I think her makeup has worn off a bit. I try to pull my hand from her but her grip is strong.

Arriving at the bar, Nina flashes the bartender a blazing smile. He smiles back and pours drinks for someone else.

"What can I get you?" He asks, looking at Nina. She rested her elbows on the bar top and now traces the wood pattern.

"Mmm, a gin sour. You Jace?" She asks turning to me.

"Rum and coke." I order, sliding onto one of the stools. The bartender nods, giving Nina one last smile, and goes to make the drinks. Nina sits on the stool next to mine and spins around.

"Here you go." The bartender comes back, sliding two glasses towards us. Nina's has a light liquid inside, while mine is a dark brown. I take a sip, letting the alcohol and soda burn my throat.

"Wanna dance?" Nina asks, sipping from her drink. I have never had a gin sour, but her faces screws up after each sip and she laughs after a few moments.

"Later." I say, taking another mouthful of my drink. I don't plan on getting drunk, but I can have one drink. People all around us keep sending jealous and hungry stares. It's not something I'm a stranger too, but it's certainly been a long time. I can tell Nina's soaking it up, loving the attention.

"Don't you have to worry about being seen in public?" I ask her over the loud music. The music is so loud that you can barely hear it, a loud of monotonous throbbing to loud you feel it, not hear it.

"Not really. You'd be surprised how little people recognize me. It's better that way though, less clingy." She shouts back. I want to scowl, but finish my drink instead. I already feel the alcohol working, setting my nerves alight like live wires and making my skin feel tingly. I feel so much more alert, but I know that after more drinks I'll start feeling the opposite.

"Dance now?" Nina asks, setting down her drink and hopping off the stool. I shrug and slid onto my feet, following Nina into the throng of sliding bodies and screaming music.

We dance facing each other, swinging our hips and looking ridiculous. What constitutes as 'dancing' these days is ridiculous…

We keep dancing, Nina coming towards a little bit more with each song. Now her hands are slightly roaming, tracing my chest and running along my shoulders and arms. I keep trying to tell her no, stop, I can't do this, but I get cut off by her mesmerizing smile.

_Snap out of it Jace! You don't love her._ I think to myself, slipping from Nina grasp. She pouts and tries again. I pull away.

"Aw c'mon Jace! Lighten up, have some fun." She finished with a suggestive smile and drapes her arms over my shoulders. She must be drunk. Because of her heels she's now as tall as me, and we're face to face. I try to get away but her fingers lock behind me neck.

"Uh-uh. You're with me tonight." And with that she leans in, her mouth brushing mine.

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><p><strong>DON'T HATE MEEEE!<strong>

**I love you guys, so please don't get all angry :(**

**I don't know when I can upload again (vacation) so enjoy these to chapters! Yes there was a lot of filler but every story has those boring moments.**

**Thank you so so much guys :) Make sure to leave a review saying how much you HATE Nina :D**

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	33. Bloodstream - Part Four

**I'M ALIVE! CAN I GET A HALLELUJAH? **

**Actually, speaking of 'hallelujah'... Make sure to read my author's note at the end.**

**The next line (the one right below that's unbolded) is somewhat a spoiler, but it is very important.**

Warning; this chapter may be triggering or uncomfortable for some audiences. Contains attempted suicide.

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><p>This fictional story is inspired by the singersongwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, Bloodstream, and I'm A Mess. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**Bloodstream**

_I've been looking for a lover_

_thought I'd find her in a bottle_

**Part Four**

I sit at the bar counter, empty shot glasses in front of me. I don't know where Nina is, she disappeared while we were on the dance floor. After she pulled away from the kiss she laughed and kept dancing. I tried to grab her, pull her to side, talk to her, but she melted into the crowd and was lost. She was probably too drunk to even understand what I would have said.

I'm laughing; did someone say something? I don't know, but I laugh anyways. The people around me all laugh so I guess I will too. How many drinks have I had? A lot. Yes, that's right. A. Lot.

Someone's hand is on my shoulder. There's another hand on my thigh. I know there are lots of women around me, smiling, drinking, laughing. I do the same, smiling as I ask for another shot. I don't know what the bartender pours but when I lift it to my lips it feels like lots of bubbles; sharp bubbles. I laugh and slam down the glass when I'm done.

Someone presses something into my hand. I look down and see a colourful pill. I turn to the women around me. They're all singing off-key and laughing, not paying attention. I swallow it, taking another shot. It's so colourful, how can I not take it? It's like a kids' pill, it won't hurt me. I take it with another shot.

I blink wildly, seeing spots. The music pounds in my ears louder, and the lights are brighter, spinning more wildly. I see everyone dancing, writhing together to the wordless song. I feel light, floating above everyone. My laughter sounds loud too, and everyone around me is laughing too. Why are we laughing so much? I'm tired of laughing.

I take a few more shots, but I'm starting to feel less and less light. Each one makes me feel more tired instead of more alert. I stand up and nearly fall over, girls catching me and giggling. I smile at them and walk through the dancers. Where's the exit? I see a door and blindly walk to it.

The door opens into an alley. I see couples pressed against the walls but other than them there's no one else. I step into the alley and stumble around. My head throbs slowly, I realize it will be worse tomorrow. I decide to sit down; maybe that will help.

The air is chilly for summer and the ground is wet. I crouch against the wall, head between my knees. I feel something pressing against my chest. I open up my jacket and pull out a crumpled tissue. It's Maryse's digoxin pills, the ones I took before I ran away.

I open the wadded tissue and let the pills roll onto my palm. I don't know how many she usually takes, but it doesn't matter. Seven pills lie in my hand.

One. Clary telling me she doesn't know who I am. Tell me when it kicks in.

Two. Isabelle waking me to tell me Clary is gone. Tell me when it kicks in.

Three. Clary lying pale and unsmiling in her casket. Tell me when it kicks in.

Four. Seeing Robert and Maryse's divorce papers. Tell me when it kicks in.

Five. Nina trying to convince me to have a fling. Tell me when it kick in.

Six. Nina kissing me. Tell me when it kicks in.

Seven. Sitting in an alley with no reason to live anymore. Tell me when it kicks in.

I slump down, my legs in front of me, my back against the brick. My head is slightly lolling forward, and I feel hazy, fuzzy. I feel the chemicals burn in my blood stream. I'm fading out. Tell me when it kicks in.

Tell me when it kicks in.

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><p><strong>I'm sorry. You probably hate me. Even though I love you guys :'(<strong>

**There are still a few more chapters, but Afire Love is very quickly coming to an end. This was a great journey guys, I can't believe it's going to be ending soon.**

**I mentioned in my note at the top about 'Hallelujah'. That's because in 'Chapter 21: Afire Love - Part Six' I changed some parts. You really should go back and reread it.**

**Thanks for reading guys. Please wait to see what will happen next; or give your ideas in a review :)**

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	34. I'm a Mess - Part One

This fictional story is inspired by the singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, Bloodstream, and I'm A Mess. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**I'm A Mess**

_I messed up this time_

_late last night_

_drinking to suppress devotion_

**Part One**

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

What was that incessant beeping? Was it a phone? Why was no one answering? Pick up the damn phone!

"Doctor; get the doctor." I hear someone say. Their voice is distant, like they're talking on a phone. Oh! Did someone pick up the phone? Finally.

But I can still hear the beeping. Are there two phones? God, who needs two phones?

"Jace? Jace can you hear me?" Jace isn't here at the moment. Leave a message.

"Jace, please respond." I groan, and slowly wake up. I feel various things poking against my skin and a sheet covering my body.

"Jace, can you open your eyes?" I groan again and attempt to do what the voice asks me to. My eyelids feel heavy and my eyes burn when the light touches them. I nearly hiss at the brightness.

I see that I'm in a sunny, white room. There's someone standing next to my bed. Where am I? What is the beeping?

"Good. Now can you talk okay Jace?" I turn my head to the person next to me. I'm propped up on a bunch of pillows so moving isn't too difficult. The man talking to me wears scrubs and has a clipboard in his hand.

"What's happening?" I croak; my voice cracking and my throat dry. My body I slightly sweating, making the sheet stick to my arms and legs.

"Hi there Jace. How are you feeling?" The man still doesn't answer my question.

"Fine. I guess. No. Never mind, I'm not fine. Actually I think–" I turn my head and throw up. The man sighs and walks to the door. I guess that someone was waiting there since a woman in matching scrubs comes in. She removes my sheet carefully and leaves the room.

"Alright Jace. Do you have anyone we can call for you? The woman who brought you here left hurriedly." It takes me a minute to figure out what he's talking about.

"Um, where's here? I don't remember much." The man nods and quickly looks down at his clipboard.

"Right, of course. Well it would appear that last night you took an overdose on digoxin pills along with a quite large amount of alcohol." My eyes widened as I slowly remembered what happened. How was I alive?

My throat feels scratchy and suddenly too tight for me to speak. I just nod my head in understanding.

"Is there anyone we can call?" He asks again. I take a few deep breaths. I suppose it's time to go home.

"Yeah. Can I get a piece of paper and pen?" The man – a doctor I suppose – nods and hands me a pen from his clipboard. There's a notepad on the side table, which the doctor gets for me too. I nod and scribble down a few numbers; Izzy's cell, Alec's cell, and the Lightwood's home number.

I tell the doctor what number is whose and he leaves to call them. I'm left in the hospital room, now without a sheet. I'm wearing a hospital nightgown, which would be more embarrassing if I wasn't exhausted.

Had I really tried to killed myself last night? The idea seems crazy, but there's still a small part of me saying to try again. I groan, a splitting headache has started, and decide to stop thinking for a while. After figuring out how to lower my bed so I'm not sitting up, I curl up on my side and fall asleep.

"Alec… do you believe it?" Who's interrupting my dream? If you're not talking money, then I don't want to talk.

"I don't know, Izzy. I think her death hit him hard." Great, now there's two people.

"It hit all of us hard." The first person's talking again. Obviously I'm not going to fall asleep again.

"I was sleeping." I mumble. My eyes open and I see my adoptive siblings standing next to me.

"Jace!" Isabelle sobs, leaning down to hug me. I try to hug her back but my limbs feel leaden. When she pulls away she hurriedly wipes her cheeks as Alec sets a hand on my shoulder.

"Oh Jace, we were so worried." Isabelle is fanning her eyes in an attempt to stop crying. I feel my eyes sting too, but the tears don't fall yet. Alec squeezes my shoulder before pulling his hand back to wrap around his sister.

"I– I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking." I manage to say, my throat still feeling like sandpaper. My adoptive siblings nod and we stay silent for a while.

"Where are Maryse and Robert?" I ask after several minutes. Isabelle's eyes widen and Alec lets out a nearly inaudible sigh.

"They're with their lawyers right now. They're finalizing a divorce."

This wasn't new to me, but it was still startling. When I had asked Robert about the divorce he hadn't given me an answer, but I'd seen the papers.

"Jace? You don't seem surprised." Izzy mentions, while leaning into her brother. I wonder where Simon and Magnus are right now.

"I saw some papers the night of the funeral." I confess, unable to look either of them in the eye. I can feel their anger, also understanding.

"How long do you think they were planning this?" Isabelle asks to no one in particular. Alec clearly hesitates before responding.

"A while now. Actually, when they were travelling, they were looking for lawyers and people who could sort it out. They weren't together half of the time." Alec seems suddenly embarrassed.

"How do you know that?" Izzy accuses, stepping away from him and crossing her arms. Uh-oh. I knew what this meant. Isabelle was angry, and on the verge of shutting everyone out.

"Maryse confided in me a few days ago. She was distraught over Jace–" at this point I feel blood fill my cheeks, "– and she told me everything."

Isabelle still seems upset, but she uncrosses her arms.

"Oh. Well, I better call Simon to see where he and Magnus are at. They said they be here soon…" Isabelle starts to leave the room but I stop her.

"Wait! Iz, uh, which hospital am I at?" I dread the answer. With each second that Isabelle is silent I grow more and more worried. When I see her eyes fill with tears, it's all the answer I need. She's biting her lip as she answers.

"New York Downtown Hospital." And with that she leaves the room.

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><p><strong>Hi my fabulous readers!<strong>

**I'm sorry if you guys thought Jace would see Clary in heaven... :'( He's still alive**

**So why do you think Jace is worried about which hospital he's in? Leave your idea in your review!**

**I haven't been getting very many reviews lately, in fact; next to none. Today I'm deciding that I won't upload tomorrow's chapter until I get 100 or more reviews. I know that seems harsh but I used to get so many reviews, and now I get very few. My average view count is higher everyday, but reviews are so limited. You can even review previous chapters!**

**100+ reviews = New Chapter**

**Follow - Favourite - Review**


	35. Chapter 34 (again)

**Okay, so apparently some people couldn't open/read yesterday's chapter (Chapter 34) so I'm republishing it. Hopefully this works :/**

**Also make sure to READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE BOTTOM.**

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><p>This fictional story is inspired by the singersongwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, Bloodstream, and I'm A Mess. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**I'm A Mess**

_I messed up this time_

_late last night_

_drinking to suppress devotion_

**Part One**

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

What was that incessant beeping? Was it a phone? Why was no one answering? Pick up the damn phone!

"Doctor; get the doctor." I hear someone say. Their voice is distant, like they're talking on a phone. Oh! Did someone pick up the phone? Finally.

But I can still hear the beeping. Are there two phones? God, who needs two phones?

"Jace? Jace can you hear me?" Jace isn't here at the moment. Leave a message.

"Jace, please respond." I groan, and slowly wake up. I feel various things poking against my skin and a sheet covering my body.

"Jace, can you open your eyes?" I groan again and attempt to do what the voice asks me to. My eyelids feel heavy and my eyes burn when the light touches them. I nearly hiss at the brightness.

I see that I'm in a sunny, white room. There's someone standing next to my bed. Where am I? What is the beeping?

"Good. Now can you talk okay Jace?" I turn my head to the person next to me. I'm propped up on a bunch of pillows so moving isn't too difficult. The man talking to me wears scrubs and has a clipboard in his hand.

"What's happening?" I croak; my voice cracking and my throat dry. My body I slightly sweating, making the sheet stick to my arms and legs.

"Hi there Jace. How are you feeling?" The man still doesn't answer my question.

"Fine. I guess. No. Never mind, I'm not fine. Actually I think–" I turn my head and throw up. The man sighs and walks to the door. I guess that someone was waiting there since a woman in matching scrubs comes in. She removes my sheet carefully and leaves the room.

"Alright Jace. Do you have anyone we can call for you? The woman who brought you here left hurriedly." It takes me a minute to figure out what he's talking about.

"Um, where's here? I don't remember much." The man nods and quickly looks down at his clipboard.

"Right, of course. Well it would appear that last night you took an overdose on digoxin pills along with a quite large amount of alcohol." My eyes widened as I slowly remembered what happened. How was I alive?

My throat feels scratchy and suddenly too tight for me to speak. I just nod my head in understanding.

"Is there anyone we can call?" He asks again. I take a few deep breaths. I suppose it's time to go home.

"Yeah. Can I get a piece of paper and pen?" The man – a doctor I suppose – nods and hands me a pen from his clipboard. There's a notepad on the side table, which the doctor gets for me too. I nod and scribble down a few numbers; Izzy's cell, Alec's cell, and the Lightwood's home number.

I tell the doctor what number is whose and he leaves to call them. I'm left in the hospital room, now without a sheet. I'm wearing a hospital nightgown, which would be more embarrassing if I wasn't exhausted.

Had I really tried to killed myself last night? The idea seems crazy, but there's still a small part of me saying to try again. I groan, a splitting headache has started, and decide to stop thinking for a while. After figuring out how to lower my bed so I'm not sitting up, I curl up on my side and fall asleep.

"Alec… do you believe it?" Who's interrupting my dream? If you're not talking money, then I don't want to talk.

"I don't know, Izzy. I think her death hit him hard." Great, now there's two people.

"It hit all of us hard." The first person's talking again. Obviously I'm not going to fall asleep again.

"I was sleeping." I mumble. My eyes open and I see my adoptive siblings standing next to me.

"Jace!" Isabelle sobs, leaning down to hug me. I try to hug her back but my limbs feel leaden. When she pulls away she hurriedly wipes her cheeks as Alec sets a hand on my shoulder.

"Oh Jace, we were so worried." Isabelle is fanning her eyes in an attempt to stop crying. I feel my eyes sting too, but the tears don't fall yet. Alec squeezes my shoulder before pulling his hand back to wrap around his sister.

"I– I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking." I manage to say, my throat still feeling like sandpaper. My adoptive siblings nod and we stay silent for a while.

"Where are Maryse and Robert?" I ask after several minutes. Isabelle's eyes widen and Alec lets out a nearly inaudible sigh.

"They're with their lawyers right now. They're finalizing a divorce."

This wasn't new to me, but it was still startling. When I had asked Robert about the divorce he hadn't given me an answer, but I'd seen the papers.

"Jace? You don't seem surprised." Izzy mentions, while leaning into her brother. I wonder where Simon and Magnus are right now.

"I saw some papers the night of the funeral." I confess, unable to look either of them in the eye. I can feel their anger, also understanding.

"How long do you think they were planning this?" Isabelle asks to no one in particular. Alec clearly hesitates before responding.

"A while now. Actually, when they were travelling, they were looking for lawyers and people who could sort it out. They weren't together half of the time." Alec seems suddenly embarrassed.

"How do you know that?" Izzy accuses, stepping away from him and crossing her arms. Uh-oh. I knew what this meant. Isabelle was angry, and on the verge of shutting everyone out.

"Maryse confided in me a few days ago. She was distraught over Jace–" at this point I feel blood fill my cheeks, "– and she told me everything."

Isabelle still seems upset, but she uncrosses her arms.

"Oh. Well, I better call Simon to see where he and Magnus are at. They said they be here soon…" Isabelle starts to leave the room but I stop her.

"Wait! Iz, uh, which hospital am I at?" I dread the answer. With each second that Isabelle is silent I grow more and more worried. When I see her eyes fill with tears, it's all the answer I need. She's biting her lip as she answers.

"New York Downtown Hospital." And with that she leaves the room.

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><p><strong>Hi my fabulous readers!<strong>

**I'm sorry if you guys thought Jace would see Clary in heaven... :'( He's still alive**

**So why do you think Jace is worried about which hospital he's in? Leave your idea in your review!**

**I haven't been getting very many reviews lately, in fact; next to none. Today I'm deciding that I won't upload tomorrow's chapter until I get 100 or more reviews. I know that seems harsh but I used to get so many reviews, and now I get very few. My average view count is higher everyday, but reviews are so limited. You can even review previous chapters!**

**100+ reviews = New Chapter**

**Follow - Favourite - Review**


	36. I'm A Mess - Part Two

**Alright, here's Chapter 35. I uploaded Chapter 34 (again) about two hours ago, but that was for people who couldn't open/read the original Chapter 34. **

**Here's I'm A Mess - Part Two!**

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><p>This fictional story is inspired by the singersongwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, Bloodstream, and I'm A Mess. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**I'm A Mess**

_I messed up this time_

_late last night_

_drinking to suppress devotion_

**Part Two**

My throat closed again and I felt cool tears going down my face. Why here? Of all the places to go why did I have to end up here?

This was the hospital where Clary died.

Alec rushed over and knelt by the bed.

"Hey, hey. Calm down. It's fine, Jace. Everything will be good. Just breathe, okay? Yeah, in, out. Just like that. Keep going." Alec leads me away from a panic attack and I slowly even my breathing. Alec continues to mumble some reassuring words as I lapse into a quiet lull.

Isabelle returns a few minutes later, cellphone in hand. She looks like she has just finished crying as she walks over to my side, opposite Alec.

"I'm sorry Jace." Is all she says as she reaches for my hand. I let her take it, too overwhelmed from these past few days to resist. I close my eyes and fell asleep.

_"__I think it should be beach themed." Clary said, folding her hands on the table. Luke, who was sitting across from my fiancée, cocked his head._

_"__Why so?" He inquired, his blue eyes meeting hers. Jocelyn took a sip from her steaming mug, watching the scene._

_"__Jace proposed on a beach; duh!" Clary laughed, leaning back in her seat. I put an arm around her, eyes falling on her ring. It was so delicate looking, yet beautiful and strong. Just like the woman who wore it._

_"__What do you think, Jocelyn?" Luke asked his wife. She thought for a moment before smiling._

_"__Whatever my baby wants." Clary warmly smiled at her mother. For a instant I felt left out of the family moment, but Clary broke from her mother's gaze to kiss my cheek. _

_"__Well I think you two should have a nice traditional wedding. In a church for the ceremony, and in a nice dining hall for the reception." Luke added his thoughts to the mix. Clary just waved her hand._

_"__Okay, what about ceremony in a church and reception on a beach?" Clary negotiated. Luke shrugged._

_"__How long do you think the guest list will be?" Jocelyn asked. Clary thought about it for a moment._

_"__Small. Only close family friends and such." Clary answered. _Just like your funeral,_ I think to myself. _Wait, what? What funeral? Clary's alive, in my arms right now!

_Suddenly Clary's leg starts to spasm. The shake starts to spread to her whole body and Jocelyn jumps up._

_"__Baby? Oh Clary, oh my baby…" She rushes over while Luke gets the phone. I pull away and watch Clary spasm. Suddenly her muscles tighten and she lies rigid. Luke finishes the call and lifts his daughter up. They go to the car, me forgotten. I seem glued to the spot, unable to move. I watch the door slam shut behind them._

_A moment later door opens. None other than Nina walks in, wearing the same white dress from before. She comes over and sits at the table, twirling the straw in the orange juice glass. That glass wasn't there a minute ago, but just like Nina, it suddenly appeared._

_"__Hey Jace." She starts flirtatiously. I want to scream but I seem to have no control over my body._

_"__Let's have some fun." She says, standing up and walking over to me. She lifts me up by my collar and stands on her tip toes. Swiftly, her lips are on mine._

"AAAH!" I scream, sitting up. Isabelle and Alec jump back, Isabelle nearly crashing into the beeping machines.

"Jace!" Isabelle exclaims, sounding out of breath. "What's wrong?"

I breathe shakily for a moment and try to regain my composure. I see that there are two other people in the room now; Simon and Magnus. Simon appears startled but Magnus just calmly smiles at me.

"Nightmare." I mutter incoherently. A nurse rushes into my room. She checks my clipboard that's hanging on the door and gives the room a once-over. With a frown, she says,

"You're free to go, Mr. Lightwood." She leaves and I nod, starting to get out of the bed before realizing I'm still only in the hospital gown. Alec seems to realize my situation and grabs a backpack that was sitting on the ground.

"Here man. I brought some of your clothes." I smile, showing my thanks, and walk out of the room, giving Simon and Magnus quick nods.

The bathroom is just down the hall from my room. I quickly change into the dark jeans and faded red V-neck shirt that Alec gave me. Once done, I'm about to leave when I catch my reflection.

There are dark moons under my eyes, and my hair is sticking up wildly. I haven't showered in a while and I can see that it's greasier than normal. My eyes are slightly bloodshot and my skin looks yellow under the lights. I leave quickly, returning to the hospital room.

"So Nina brought you here?" Alec asks, sitting in one of the chairs. I nod and lean against the doorway. Isabelle and Simon sit on the bed, hand in hand, and Magnus has taken to the window sill. I just explained most of what happened while I was away.

"I think it was her. The doctor said she left really quickly so I don't know." Everyone is silent for a while, until Magnus stands up and brushes himself off.

"Well, speaking of leaving, we ought to go before that nurse comes back and kicks us out." Every murmurs their agreement and we walk out to the lobby.

"Which hotel did you stay at, Jace?" Isabelle questions as we walk past patients and visitors. I'm about to answer when I feel someone grabbing my arm.

"Mr. Lightwood, are you sure you're fine to go?" It's the doctor from before, who was there when I woke up. I give him a nod and reassuring smile.

"Yes, I feel quite fine. I'll be staying with my siblings until I can find a more permanent residence." I add on the last bit just to make him feel better, but he frowns.

"Here, let me give you this card. It's for a counsellor I know." He pulls a card from his pocket and hands it to me. I tuck it into my jeans without looking at it and nod at him. Then we leave the hospital.

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><p><strong>Guys... I got 100 reviews! That was my goal and we got it; I can't thank everyone enough!<strong>

**So, this is the second last chapter. The last chapter WILL BE POSTED TOMORROW, AUGUST 22nd.**

**BUT! I do plan on writing a sequel ;) So stay tuned for info on that. To make sure you don't miss it, follow me (aftertales) !**

**I love you guys so much, please leave a review about what you think of this chapter, and the idea of a sequel :D**

**Follow - Favourite - Review**


	37. Final Chapter & Author's Note

**NEW COVER TO CELEBRATE THE END OF THE STORY!**

**So here's the final chapter :)**

**(sorry about the shortness...)**

**READ AUTHOR'S NOTE**

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><p>This fictional story is inspired by the singersongwriter Ed Sheeran. The songs lyrics used in this story are from: One, Take It Back, Shirtsleeves, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea, Photograph, Afire Love, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, Runaway, Nina, Bloodstream, and I'm A Mess. These songs are from the album 'x' (pronounced 'multiply')

**I'm A Mess**

_I messed up this time_

_late last night_

_drinking to suppress devotion_

**Part Three**

I sit in the back seat with Izzy as Simon drives. Alec and Magnus are in the other vehicle driving to the Lightwood house. Simon is taking me and Isabelle to the hotel I stayed at to pick up my clothes and extra money. I'll probably be hassled by Minnie to pay for yesterday and today, but that doesn't worry me. She's really the least of my problems right now.

"This one?" Isabelle asks, pulling me out of my thoughts. I must have zoned out for the whole car ride, since now we are parked in front of my hotel.

"Yeah, I'll be right back." I get out of the car before Isabelle can protest.

Inside the lobby is a family with young children and Minnie. While the parents are attempting to corral the four toddlers, Minnie is carefully watching to ensure they don't break anything.

"Oh! Hello again." She calls when she sees me. She looks at something on her desk and scowls.

"You owe me a hundred and twenty dollars." She raises an eyebrow challengingly, like I might argue. I just sigh and explain.

"My stuff is in my room. I'm checking out now. I'll pay you when I come back down." I don't have my wallet with me right now since it was in my other jeans. Alec took home my clothes from my night with Nina and I never thought to get my wallet first.

"Fine." She says, crossing her arms and resuming her watch over the young children. I walk through the hotel, heading back to my room.

The room is exactly as I left it, with several shirts strewn on the bed and the curtains drawn tight. I get my duffel bag and start shoving it full with all the clothes I brought. Once I'm done I open the safe and take out the money I had put inside. I give the room a final once-over and leave.

"Here." I say to Minnie, handing her what I owe. She smiles and collects the bills, counting them one by one. I leave without another word.

I put the duffel bag in the back seat with me and Simon starts the drive back to the Lightwood house.

Like the drive to the hotel, the drive to the house is quiet. I can see Izzy turning in her seat every five seconds, like she's making sure I don't disappear. I feel like a child being watched by an over protective parent.

"We're home." Isabelle softly whispers as we pull into the driveway. Alec and Magnus are waiting on the porch, small smiles tugging at their lips as I stare in awe at the house. It's not that I'm surprised, it's hard to believe how much has changed in just a matter of weeks.

Three weeks ago we were living our regular lives.

Two weeks ago Clary was diagnosed with a tumor.

One week ago Clary and I are engaged.

A few days ago Clary passed away.

Two days ago I thought I would leave my past life forever.

Last night I tried to kill myself.

And now I'm right back at the start. Staring up at the Lightwood house like I did so many years ago, when I was just an orphan. An orphan looking for a new life, a fresh start, an existence away from death and tragedy.

It looks like some things never change.

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><p><strong>*CUE VIOLENT SOBBING*<strong>

**So I wrote a fantastic author's note but it never saved... I'm really angry and sad now...**

**Thanks go out to my faithful reviewers; TaileaLightwoodHerondale, xoxNxox, mja . awesome, and Ally (guest). You guys always put a smile on my face :D**

**And thanks to EVERYONE who took the time to read my fanfic! It means so freaking much to me!**

**Sequel News; There WILL BE a sequel for Afire Love! It will be entitled 'Stay with Me' (subject to change) and posted on my profile. The expected publish date is September 1st (also subject to change).**

**DO THE POLL ON MY PROFILE! VERY IMPORTANT!**

**Also leave a final review, telling me how you think I did wrapping the story up :)**

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	38. Bonus Chapter!

**Hi everyone! I wrote a bonus chapter for y'all; a different version of the hospital scene. Like what could have happened.**

**Anyways, i hope you enjoy it. It's unedited... Oops. Make sure to listen to the song, and read the author's note at the BOTTOM.**

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><p><strong>Alternative Hospital Scene<strong>

Song: Lay Me Down, Sam Smith

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><p>I enter the room, and see her sitting up. A potent mix of relief and grief hits me, and I feel my eyes burning. I blink quickly, openly staring at her perfection, despite the conditions.<p>

"Jace?" Clary says calmly. I gasp, staring at her. She is turned towards myself now, blue eyes attuned to me. Her slightly bedraggled red hair is pulled into a slipping ponytail, where a few rebellious strands have escaped. They now fall on her face; harsh red lines against the porcelain skin.

"Clary." I say her name like a breath; soft and without thinking. I have no intentions as I say her name aloud, letting the simplicity of the letters collapse on the tense silence that seals the room.

"You can come in." She says kindly, gesturing to the chair I inhabited earlier. After my brief, albeit unpleasant, run-in with Jocelyn and Luke, I feel myself slightly tired.

"Do you remember?" I ask, tentatively. I realize how much rests on this single question. I can see the decision in Clary's eyes as she chooses her answer carefully.

"I think so. It's odd though. It's like I'm reading a book where paragraphs have been cut out. I have to assume and fill in what's missing." She stares the simple bed sheets that are tightly wound around her small frame.

"Jace, I'm dying." She deadpans.

My head snaps upward, painfully, and my eyes find hers. I can imagine that my golden irises have darkened considerably, due to the anger that I'm feeling.

"Stop it. Don't say that. You'll be find Clary, this is a set-back." I say, with power behind my words. But despite the obvious power I'm using, it's rage, not conviction.

"I won't stop, I'll say whatever I want, and I won't be fine. I'm telling you this so that when I die you stay alive. My life is out of my hands but you have a choice Jace. Just because I'll be gone doesn't mean the world is over. You lived before be and you'll live after." She says strongly, twisting the engagement ring on her hand. I stare the intricate leaves and clench my jaw.

"I don't want to talk about death, Clary." I answer quietly. She must sense the change in my tone, since she lifts her eyes and looks me over.

"Jonathan Christopher Lightwood." She says my – full – name sternly. I meet her gaze with cool detachment, waiting for her to finish.

"People are born to die. Every moment that we live is a moment wasted and a moment closer to the grave. People die every day and people are born every day, because that's how life works. When I die, I become a statistic; another dead. I mean no more than a poor child involved in a school shooting, or an old lady who dies of heart failure. We as humans cannot control how or when we die; death in inevitable. So when I die I want you to remember the times we had, but the life you had _without_ me. I'm asking you to forget me, for your sake. I can't stand the idea of me causing you eternal grief."

I take a moment to process her words before firing back,

"Every moment with you is a moment well spent, and I know our graves are far away. Life is a complex matter, involving much more than births and deaths. It involves love, which is what we've found. If you die, you are not a statistic. You are a fucking person Clary, and you mean everything to me. Death might be inevitable, but that doesn't mean you should welcome it with open arms. If you die, I'm not forgetting you because you were the best thing that ever happened to me, and I'm not forgetting that. I can't stand the idea of you dying _for_ me." I use the back of my hand to wipe my eyes as I finish. Clary was already in tears and now she pushes her palms into her eyelids.

"Jace," she sobs, lowering herself to rest on her side instead of sitting up. She moves over so that there is room beside her, and I slide in behind her. My arm automatically drapes over her protectively and I press my head into her shoulders and neck.

"I love you. Too much. This is too hard for me, Clare." I admit, mumbling into the sheet. We lie there silently, our cries occasionally ripping the silence, for what feels like hours. The hospital staff seem to be avoiding her room, which is a relief.

"Clary?" I ask after about an hour. I'm stopped crying, and when she turns over, I see that she has too. She lies on her back as I prop myself up with an elbow.

"What do you think comes next?" I ask, trying to not sound morbid. Clary purses her lips and thinks carefully.

"I heard once that when you die the Greeks have scale where they weigh your heart. Depending on what your heart weighs, you either go to, their equivalent of, heaven or hell. If you get to heaven, you can choose to be reborn. If when you die from rebirth, and pass again, you can be reborn _again_. After reaching heaven a few times, you get to a different heaven; a super-elite members-only heaven. I like to think that after death you get to reflect on your life, and that leads to whether you enjoy your afterlife or not." I cling to ever word she says; laughing at the right parts, serious at others.

"Well, I think you're headed to the super awesome heaven." I joke back, letting my fingers find loose locks of her hair. By now, most of it has come loose from the sloppy ponytail that was done.

"I feel lightheaded Jace." Clary says suddenly. Even though she's lying down I can see the slight nausea and dizziness of her face.

"Nurse," she mumbles, closing her eyes. I get off the bed and pad into the hallway, where there are a few nurses milling around or scurrying to patients. I find one that looks in her mid-thirties who appears to be doing nothing.

"Nurse? My fiancée is saying that she feels light headed. Clary Fray." When I mention her name the nurse goes from mildly interesting to very intrigued.

"Thank you, I'll see to her." She scurries into Clary's room and quickly confers with her. After a moment she comes back to me at the door.

"You should go now, Mr. Lightwood. Visiting hours are nearly over and we need to do a few more tests on Clarissa right now."

She pushes me out before I can protest and I'm left in the hall, alone.

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><p><strong>So; I wanted to write this scene for a while now, and I'm fairly happy with what I got. I hope you guys don't get too emotional…<strong>

**I have an idea for a half-sequel that would be published throughout September: I write various chapters from Clary's POV. Probably not all of them, but maybe 5 to 10 ? Request which chapter(s) you want to see, in a review! (chapters 1 through 18 only, since those are the pre-death ones) THIS WILL NOT BE THE OFFICIAL SEQUEL.**

**I would upload Clary's POV chapters weekly or twice a week and include updates on the writing progress of the official sequel (entitled Stay With Me), which I'm hoping to start publishing by October 2014.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading this little alternative hospital scene with some final clace moments.**


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